Lesson Planning Multiple Curricula

[happynurse]

I'm curious if anyone has lesson planning tips to share? I am currently planning first grade for my oldest child. I have all of my curricula purchased and ready to go, which is a big relief! I'm finding that it takes a significant amount of time to go through teacher guides, write out page numbers, supplemental reading and activities, etc. for each of the various subjects. Of course I know that this is expected, but with a demanding toddler and a busy preschooler underfoot, I'm wondering if any of you seasoned homeschoolers have any tips or advice for creating lesson plans? Currently I'm considering just planning in 6 week blocks. Any other planning-made-easier ideas? What works in your homeschool?

(FWIW - SOTW 1, CLE/MM combo, Memoria Press 1st Grade Enrichment, WWE 1, Abeka Language & Penmanship, R&S Spelling, simple unit study style Science)

[Momto6inIN]

I do the whole year in advance because - like you said - it takes a big chunk of time! It's easier for me to find that chunk of time just once a year rather than several times throughout the year, and it really doesn't take that much longer to do all year than it does to do six weeks. I do it all in pencil because we do often need to switch things around a bit once we get started. Many of our subjects are open and go do the next thing type of stuff that I don't write lesson plans for. But for those subjects that have lots of books and supplements and whatnot, I have an empty spreadsheet that I print out 4 copies of (1 per quarter), each page has 2 columns of empty boxes, so 36 boxes per page. Those 4 copies gives me 4 days a week for 36 weeks to plan lessons for. The 5th day of the week is a catch-up and other activities day, so I don't plan anything for that day. I've found that this cuts down on the switching around that needs to be done throughout the year, although of course it doesn't ever eliminate it! ?

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't think I have ever done what you are describing 

at the beginning of each year I reread through sections of TWTM make a list of all subjects with curriculum per child. Make sure I have enough supplies  and that is it. Takes about I hour per child for the year

[hollyhock2]

I never add supplemental reading and activities to any of our subjects. If it's not in the lesson plans, it's not happening. Maybe it's just me, but I like things to be fairly simple!

I try to keep planning simple. Before the school year begins, I figure out how many lessons/chapters/pages of each curriculum we need to do per week to finish it in 36 weeks. So, for example, R&S Spelling needs one lesson done per week and there are 3 sections in each lesson (A, B and C). So I schedule spelling for 3x a week. I do this for all our curricula, then I make a weekly schedule based on how many times per week each subject needs doing. Then, throughout the year, I plan weekly, writing down which chapter or which lesson of what we're going to do, but at that point, it's mostly just "do the next thing". I don't plan more than a week in advance just in case we take an unexpected day off.

[Junie]

We school year round, so my planning looks a bit different.  I don't worry about finishing anything in 36 weeks.

Mostly, I just plan one week at a time.  Sometime over the weekend (or on Monday morning, just keeping it real), I write out an assignment sheet for each of my kids.

When they are close to finishing a book I will buy the next one in the series (if we don't already have it).

By planning one week at a time I can easily accommodate doctors appointments or illnesses or grandparent visits or whatever.

[Emba]

The thought of planning an entire year out at once makes me break out in hives.  I plan week by week.  I mean, I know what curricula I will use for the year, and I have a general idea of what supplements and novels I want to use, but I don't actually plan lessons on specific days until the Saturday before.  I change plans so often that planning out more than a two weeks at a time would be an exercise in futility.  I usually try to sit down for awhile Saturday or Sunday, from about a half-hour to an hour, to plan the coming week.  I write it all down in a teacher planner and then check it off as we complete it (or not ? )

And sometimes it's Monday before I get things all written out.  Or Tuesday.  Or hey, we just wing it all week and I write down what we did after we do it.  ?

Halfway through the year, I kind of check and make sure we're on track to complete what I want to complete and start adjusting to complete it if we're not. 

[alisoncooks]

When my kids were younger, I *tried* to plan out the year in advance, but after a few years of not being able to stick with the plan, I realized it was a colossal waste of my time.  (Not saying this is the case for everyone...)

Now, I mainly pick curricula that I just "do the next thing."  Perhaps at the beginning of the year, I figure out approx. how many pages we need to get through per lesson/day/week in order to finish by ____ date ...and I just keep that in mind. Sometimes I make a chart to refer to (i.e. math 5x/week, 1 lesson each; do cursive 3x/week, 1 page).  But I certainly don't bother with page numbers. 

But *cough* I'm probably not the best to respond. When my kids were that age, we did some math, some reading, and play-dough 101. Very relaxed. 

[HomeAgain]

I use a set of cube storage and break the year into chunks.  Each cube is one chunk, so any books, games, etc. get stored there until I sit down to fully plan out that chunk.  I keep an outline, but this way I can just throw things together later but still be somewhat organized.

For example, this year we have 2 semester chunks, but history is split into trimesters (colonial, Revolution, early 1800s). I'm using 6 cubes total, one for each semester, and one for each trimester.  The last cube is for "constant" supplies, and those are sorted with colored tabs to tell me that I'm going to use book X in Colonial times (green tab at chapters) and for the Revolution (blue tabs on chapters).

I do have 2 notebooks that have dividers I scavenged from a worn out Sonlight guide.  I made a blank weekly schedule and sorted out writing for the 36 weeks (odd curriculum, needed preparation) and penciled in work in other subjects for the first few weeks.  This way I can look ahead a few weeks at a time, adjust, add in any printouts or library book lists, and anything else I want to add without feeling too hemmed in.  And this may be overkill, but I treat this as my lesson plan but have an online schedule for my kid that we fill in as we go so I can track days/hours/field trips/extras for an "official" record.

[Slache]

I do the next thing and then record what we did.

[Sarah0000]

I just keep the stack of workbooks and teacher guides available and open and go. If something requires a book I use my phone then and there to request them from the library or order them on Amazon. If I'm printing worksheets I just do a few days worth and we get to them when we do. We read as far in SOTW as we like and pick it up again next time I think about it. The only daily planning I do is if we have a day with long outside activities then I choose quick schoolwork to do instead of hands on stuff. Otherwise the planning is more when I want to do a specific topic study then I spend a few hours researching, ordering, and organizing resources.

[regentrude]

4 hours ago, happynurse said:

I'm curious if anyone has lesson planning tips to share? I am currently planning first grade for my oldest child. I have all of my curricula purchased and ready to go, which is a big relief! I'm finding that it takes a significant amount of time to go through teacher guides, write out page numbers, supplemental reading and activities, etc. for each of the various subjects. Of course I know that this is expected, but with a demanding toddler and a busy preschooler underfoot, I'm wondering if any of you seasoned homeschoolers have any tips or advice for creating lesson plans? Currently I'm considering just planning in 6 week blocks. Any other planning-made-easier ideas? What works in your homeschool?

I had no idea this was "expected", and I never did anything close to what you describe.

I schedule time for school, carefully research the resources I am going to use - and then start at the beginning and go as far as I get in the time my kid is interested in, and focused on, the subject. I knew, for example, that I wanted to spend 5 hours on school in 5th grade, and we simply filed those with learning activities from the materials I had previously selected. If the kids ended up bingeing on one subject, I'd redirect to the neglected subjects after a week - it always averaged out.

The few times I actually planned out page and chapter numbers (in a misguided attempt to create a detailed syllabus in high school), my kids ended up working ahead and breaking the schedule during the first week. Remaking the schedule got tiresome fast. Since telling a kid "no, you must now stop learning this thing that you are interested in, because I have scheduled another subject" does not mesh with my homeschool philosophy, we never did detailed plans, just made sure to spend time on task. It worked just fine.

 

 

[wendyroo]

I don't do much planning, but I do prep absolutely everything I can ahead of time to make all our curricula as open and go as possible.

So, for the curricula that you listed that I have used that would look like:

SOTW 1:  I print out all coloring sheets and map work, put them all in order by chapter (ch. 1 coloring sheet, ch. 1 map, ch. 2 coloring sheet, ch. 2 map, etc), and bind them into a history booklet for each of the kids.  I print out comprehension questions and map instructions, put them in order by chapter and bind them into a booklet for myself.  This is all we do for SOTW, so I am done.

MM:  I print it, bind it, and go through marking problems I want them to do and stops signs to mark the end of a day's worth of work.  For this, I do about a semester at a time.

WWE 1:  I print all the student pages (I always buy pdf resources when available) and bind them into a booklet.  I print the instructor pages in mini (half size as a booklet) and bind those for myself.  I go through my whole booklet and high light things I need to stress (words I need to define before reading, grammar or punctuation to explain or emphasize, etc).

Simple unit study style Science: This isn't at all how we do science, but it is similar to how we approach Spanish.  That I completely plan from scratch without any specific curriculum.  It does take planning, but once done I just end up with a list of activities we are going to do in order.  I kind of arbitrarily divide the list into "units" for organizational purposes only.  I print out and gather all the supplies we will need and keep them filed in a box by unit.  I keep all the electronic resources filled by unit as well.  Then, on any given day I can just look at my list, and immediately be ready to start whatever is the next thing.

Wendy

[happynurse]

Thank you all for your helpful replies! It appears that planning runs quite the gamut. I should've probably noted that my state requires documentation of 1000 hours of instruction (a unit of TIME, according to HSLDA).  So having *something* that is somewhat formally documented is necessary in my situation. I love the more laid back approach. I'm going to find a happy medium, because in my case if I  don't have some sort of written plan, it doesn't happen. Not to mention I've had  'document, document, document!' drilled into my head as an RN. ☺️ 

There are so many helpful tips on this post - thank you all for that! It's nice to see the variation among homeschoolers, and it's nice to know that as homeschoolers we can have that variation. Again, thank you for giving me a glimpse into what is working for you and giving me plenty of options to consider.

[Chelli]

I plan as I get books/curricula in the mail so I don't have to do it all at once, but since you already have it all, I'd decide this week to plan two of them, next week two more, etc.

Also, I plan by subject not by date or week, so that if your child works more quickly or more slowly, it doesn't mess up any plans. I plan the entire year out this way, so everything is open and go once we start.

Here's a link to a blog post I wrote detailing my method: 

http://www.theplantedtrees.com/2013/08/how-i-plan-our-homeschool-subjects-part.html

[Ellie]

8 hours ago, happynurse said:

(FWIW - SOTW 1, CLE/MM combo, Memoria Press 1st Grade Enrichment, WWE 1, Abeka Language & Penmanship, R&S Spelling, simple unit study style Science)

Gosh, I'm overwhelmed just reading your list!

FTR, I think there will be lots of overlap with your WWE and ABeka Language. 

If I were using that many things, after having gone through everything to see what was what, I would start at the beginning of each one, do as much as we could do each day, put a bookmark where we stopped, record the time (and I would round *up*), and start there the next day. I would not be writing page numbers in a lesson plan book and all that, not for one child.

Do you have to *prove* those 1000 hours every year? Or is it that you keep track of time just in case? Because you can burn yourself out trying to keep track of more than is actually required.

[Dudley]

I guess I am one of those that likes the whole year planned out ahead. It gives me great joy, guess we are all different . Excel and I are best buddies.   The younger the kid is more more I expect I will need I to adjust as the year goes on, but I function much better having a plan and dropping things than trying to come up with it on the fly.  So I can hold it loosely. And I tended to look at some things I planned in week chunks instead of daily chunks. 

But I TOTALLY agree with taking the time to make the curriculum as open and go as possible, if it’s not already . It may come with experience to know what that means for you and for each curriculum , but for us if I had to find scissors to cut the timeline figure out, didn’t happen. Having to take the 2 minutes to copy a map , usually lost a lot of time to regather everyone. 

1000 hrs for a first grader just feels like a lot to me. That’s 5 1/2 hours a day! I expect my 2nd grader to be done in 4 (I hope that’s realistic next year) I would have to  include piano lesson and practice and read alouds at night and outside sports for gym to get enough hours, wow. 

For sotw I would make a 36 week grid and make each week look pretty similar, even though some weeks you will have to double up on some chapters cuz there are 42 or something like that. So just decide how you want to us it and what pieces. So Monday you read the chapter and narrate. Tuesday read an extra lit books. Wednesday do map and time line . Friday pick an activity from activity book you want to tackle  or something like that

doesnt MP enrichment already have a schedule planned out? History and science are usually the ones that take the most time to plan because I add in so many extras and adjust already made schedules.  the skill subjects are easy,  I just divide the lessons evenly over the weeks

[Bay Lake Mom]

I would recommend speaking with other homeschool families in your area. They will have experience and specific advice on how to plan and record hours. I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t have such strict HS requirements in our states.

As for planning lessons, I’ve found the best approach is to plan by the subject - not the days.  For example, create a spreadsheet with 180 squares (or how many lessons you’ll plan for the year.) Each square, enter a lesson number, page numbers, additional reading, workbooks, etc. Be prepared to be flexible!  Your child (and you) will not always be up to doing everything in that “square”. 

Create one of these for each subject. They may be multiple pages long, but try to keep it simple. Don’t include teaching tips...  Before the start of each week, look over the next lessons for each subject. Cross off or highlight lessons when completed. 

[regentrude]

11 hours ago, happynurse said:

 I should've probably noted that my state requires documentation of 1000 hours of instruction (a unit of TIME, according to HSLDA).  So having *something* that is somewhat formally documented is necessary in my situation.

My state requires that, too, but they don't require you to plan out those 1,000 hours ahead of time.

I have always recorded what we did after we had done it and never had a problem logging the required hours.

[barnwife]

I am another who has never attempted anything close to what you seem to be describing. FWIW, our oldest is almost 8. We also have a 6, almost 5, and 1 yo. And the list of everything you are attempting to use just...would not work here. Not because it's bad curriculum (we've never used most of it, so I have no opinion there), just because it's too much for us!

I plan out the 3Rs, for which I specifically choose curriculum that is just "do the next thing."  Anything else goes into our Morning Time. I don't even schedule that. I throw interesting things in the box and choose some randomly each day!
 

[regentrude]

7 hours ago, Dudley said:

1000 hrs for a first grader just feels like a lot to me. That’s 5 1/2 hours a day!

1000 hours does not have to be seat work with books and workbooks. Field trips, music lessons, nature walks, PE, home ec, read aloud, live performances all are part of home education. Much of what is educational, especially in the elementary years, is taught simply through living with an engaged parent.

[happynurse]

8 hours ago, Ellie said:

Gosh, I'm overwhelmed just reading your list!

FTR, I think there will be lots of overlap with your WWE and ABeka Language. 

If I were using that many things, after having gone through everything to see what was what, I would start at the beginning of each one, do as much as we could do each day, put a bookmark where we stopped, record the time (and I would round *up*), and start there the next day. I would not be writing page numbers in a lesson plan book and all that, not for one child.

Do you have to *prove* those 1000 hours every year? Or is it that you keep track of time just in case? Because you can burn yourself out trying to keep track of more than is actually required.

 You're definitely right about the Abeka materials and WWE. I just wanted to reiterate some phonics, but he's so far advanced past the Abeka Language book that it is almost a waste of time to do it I can't imagine it taking him more than 30 seconds to do several pages, which doesn't at all help my documenting requirement. The penmanship book is  because he wants to learn cursive and he *loves* to write. But his cursive is actually excellent because of a brief intro to Pentime this year, so the Abeka penmanship is probably unncessary too. That would be more of something to do if he feels up to it. 

Thankfully, the only time you have to *prove* anything in my state is if you get dragged to court. 

[happynurse]

32 minutes ago, regentrude said:

My state requires that, too, but they don't require you to plan out those 1,000 hours ahead of time.

I have always recorded what we did after we had done it and never had a problem logging the required hours.

This is probably what I'll do. Going through the curriculum and creating somewhat of a plan (chapters associated with lit recommendations, project materials, etc.) was mostly an effort to help me not find myself scrambling at the last minute.

Thankfully, the only time those hours must be shown is if you get dragged into court. No annual evals or anything required.  It really just is my hand-to-the-paper that shows  what we've done.  

From HSLDA for my state (Missouri):

Six hundred of the 1,000 hours of instruction must be among one or more of the following core subjects: reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science. Of those 600 hours among the core subjects, 400 must occur at the "regular" homeschool location, which is not defined in law.

If you are homeschooling a child who is younger than 16, you must maintain (but do not need to submit) the following records for the child:

• A plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and educational activities engaged in. This requirement can be satisfied by keeping a daily log of hours of instruction. (HSLDA offers a fillable spreadsheet that our members can use to keep a daily log.)
• Samples of your child’s work.
• Academic evaluations. (These could be regular tests in the various subjects, annual standardized tests, etc.)

 

 

[happynurse]

8 hours ago, Dudley said:

1000 hrs for a first grader just feels like a lot to me. That’s 5 1/2 hours a day! I expect my 2nd grader to be done in 4 (I hope that’s realistic next year) I would have to  include piano lesson and practice and read alouds at night and outside sports for gym to get enough hours, wow. 

 

Me too. I cant imagine it taking more than 2 or 3.

[regentrude]

39 minutes ago, happynurse said:

This is probably what I'll do. Going through the curriculum and creating somewhat of a plan (chapters associated with lit recommendations, project materials, etc.) was mostly an effort to help me not find myself scrambling at the last minute.

Thankfully, the only time those hours must be shown is if you get dragged into court. No annual evals or anything required.  It really just is my hand-to-the-paper that shows  what we've done.  

From HSLDA for my state (Missouri):

Six hundred of the 1,000 hours of instruction must be among one or more of the following core subjects: reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science. Of those 600 hours among the core subjects, 400 must occur at the "regular" homeschool location, which is not defined in law.

If you are homeschooling a child who is younger than 16, you must maintain (but do not need to submit) the following records for the child:

• A plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and educational activities engaged in. This requirement can be satisfied by keeping a daily log of hours of instruction. (HSLDA offers a fillable spreadsheet that our members can use to keep a daily log.)
• Samples of your child’s work.
• Academic evaluations. (These could be regular tests in the various subjects, annual standardized tests, etc.)

I don't know anybody who ever had to show this documentation. I kept records on the computer, kept a list of materials used, and saved work samples for each year. It was really easy to comply with the requirements.

[Holly]

I try to plan 4-6 weeks at a time.  I don't plan "do the next thing" materials like math or WWE or spelling.  I just make a place to check off that we did it for the day.  Sometimes I write down the lesson number in my plans after we complete it.  I spend most of that time planning history & science, memory work & poetry, and literature books & read alouds. 

I do prep work (library books, printing maps or worksheets, reading lesson materials, etc.) 1-2 weeks in advance.  I usually do this over the weekend, but if we have a busy weekend, I start on Thursday or Friday.  It usually takes an hour (for 5 kids) and I can break it up over a couple days if I'm really busy. 

I planned out the full year one time and spent so much time erasing plans and rewriting them!  Never again!  I do know some people are able to make this work.  I suspect they are the people that can follow boxed programs without tweaking every little thing.  I'm secretly jealous of those homeschoolers.  ?