My big kids are set to start seminary NEXT WEEK, so I have been in the throes of planning our homeschool this week. (Just at a more frenzied pace than I have already been all summer.)
A friend on Facebook asked how everyone was doing with planning their homeschool this year, and I decided to share my tips here, as well as on her post.
Here they are:
1) PRAY
2) Budget and then just buy the darn things you want to use for your homeschool. Not buying what you need, and putting up with something less than desirable is an unnecessary lesson in frustration. Have a garage sale, or babysit, if you must, but don't settle for junk.
3) Keep the end goal/the BIG picture in mind when planning, and let go of those topics your kids don't actually need this year.
4) For homeschooling High Schoolers: Create and then use your kids' high school transcripts as an OUTLINE for what you want/need them to accomplish. It's has been the greatest things EVER for keeping me organized. (See www.thehomescholar.com to learn how to make transcripts.)
5) I also use a yearly, wire-bound planner with a weekly layout for planning and recording our homeschool each week. Simple, easy, not overwhelming. Love it!
6) Don't feel like you have to customize everything. Sometimes buying already-planned out lessons are really the way to go!
7) Make a list of books you want to read loud for the semester, and then read aloud every day! You will NEVER regret it!!!
8) Go to the temple and pray some more. Then breathe. And then "do it!"
Happy planning to all my homeschooling friends out there! :-)
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Can you explain the planner system you use for planning homeschool? Are you talking a generic- regular Walmart type planner? Do you plan weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly?
ReplyDeleteHi Melinda! I just use a student type planner that has a two page weekly layout with enough lines on each day to write the subjects I want to teach that day. The one I have right now is a nice large one illustrated by Mary Englebreit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I plan, I try to plan out a general focus for that year during a couple weeks before school starts, and then I revisit things each week or day, depending.
I have usually planned on a two semester basis, but this year I am using more Charlotte Mason in our homeschool, so I am planning for three terms this year. What really helped me with all of that was the Simply Charlotte Mason website. I am still struggling through that planning process, because it is more structured than I've ever done school time before, but I am EXCITED! :-)
Here are the direct links that helped me most:
https://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/curriculum-guide/?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=body
https://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/sample-schedules/buildweek/
On the first link, there's a PDF document you can download for free that is really helping me in my planning. I'm doing it this week, so I am neck-deep in all of that.
I will plug all of that bigger plan into my calendar. I just choose the subjects that I will teach each day, and then add that to my trusty planner, and check them off as we go over them. And "TA-DA!", I've got records of what we did. :-)
Here's another post on this blog that explains how I have planned things on a 4 year rotation of subjects: http://thoughtsfromthehearth.blogspot.com/2013/03/homeschool-sharing-whats-mine.html
I hope this helps you!!! :-)
Hugs,
Rachel
Thank you for taking a moment out of your planning time! LOVE CHARLOTTE MASON! And simply charlotte masons website!!
DeleteThanks!
I am doing more Charlotte Mason this year too. I stumbled upon (I don't believe I have ever stumbled upon homeschooling info/recources "accidentally") two rescources I am loving. All things bright and beautiful blog http://classicalmusicnartcharlottemasonstyle.blogspot.com/ with weekly music, art, and poetry selections. And Queen Homeschooling Supplies https://www.queenshomeschooling.com/ who specialize in Charlotte Mason style materials. Coupled with my lovely booklists, we just finished our easiest and most enjoyable first-week-of-school ever.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Flora