| How can a Homeschool Planner help you? | | | | A Homeschool Planner is a place where you can |
| Many homeschool families would agree that being | | | | begin to write your goals. It is also a place where |
| organized will help to determine the peacefulness | | | | you can organize parts of your daily household |
| and smooth running of a home. Whilst not all | | | | and homeschooling life to reflect the big picture |
| things are under our control, actively putting | | | | goals and the priorities. Speaking from my own |
| routines and systems in place help us prioritize our | | | | personal experience, I need to write down my |
| lives and pursue our goals. | | | | thoughts and allocate space in my day to enable |
| The first three habits which Stephen Covey | | | | myself to keep my priorities in balance. |
| addresses in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective | | | | If you already have a Planner, here are some |
| People", are | | | | steps to guide you in using your planner. |
| - Be Proactive | | | | - Use It! Get into the habit of using your planner |
| - Begin with the end in mind | | | | on a daily basis. Add information to your monthly |
| - Put First Things First Although I will not be | | | | calendar to see the month-at-a-glance. |
| addressing these habits in detail, it is amazing how | | | | - Choose a day (Friday or Saturday) on which |
| a Homeschool Planner allows you to puts these | | | | you organize the following week and do this |
| habits into action. | | | | every week: |
| Proactive people will use their initiative to find | | | | Weekly Appointments Page. |
| solutions and methods to solve problems. They | | | | - Open to the Weekly Appointment Page of your |
| respond positively to the situations they are in, | | | | planner. What week are you in? - for cleaning |
| use the situations to build character and actively | | | | zones and meals? Enter the Zone area to the |
| seek to work on a solution. Being proactive as a | | | | block at the top of the Weekly Appointment |
| homeschooling family is to address the | | | | Page.- e.g. Zone: Bathroom, Laundry, Outdoor; |
| foreseeable problem of having a bunch of unruly, | | | | - Add the date to the top of the Weekly |
| bored children in your home with you for 24 | | | | Appointments Page. |
| hours a day. A reactive person would tend to | | | | - Refer to your Weekly Meal Chart and add the |
| accept the situation, believing there is nothing they | | | | meals to the Menu Column on your page. |
| can do about it, and in fact become passive and | | | | - Print out your grocery list or bring your planner |
| do nothing. | | | | with you shopping for that week's menus. |
| The second habit of beginning with the end in | | | | - Add to the To Do List as something important |
| mind, is also another favorite of my homeschool | | | | comes to mind. |
| and life philosophy. When a person knows where | | | | - Add any appointments (doctors, sports, music |
| they are headed and what long term goals they | | | | lessons etc) to the week - check your monthly |
| are pursuing, it is much easier to keep focused. | | | | calendar. |
| The homeschooling family should have an idea of | | | | Weekly Assignment Charts |
| where they want to lead their children - making it | | | | - Sit in a place where you can access all the |
| easier to develop short term (yearly, term by | | | | children's books or curriculum which you use. |
| term) goals once the long term (big picture) goals | | | | - Fill in the weekly assignment chart for each child. |
| have been discussed and agreed upon. | | | | List pages of workbooks/ reading assignments/ |
| Once you have the end in mind, it is easier to | | | | activities/ topic being studied and so on. |
| prioritize in your life and Put First Things First. | | | | - If your children are marking off their work in |
| So, how does a Homeschool Planner help the | | | | your planner, explain how the planner works and |
| homeschooling family become more effective? | | | | where you want them to tick off their work. |
| A Homeschool Planner is as unique as each family. | | | | Some planners have a small box on the side for |
| It is not a strict 15 minute timetabled account of | | | | this. You may want them to check it off or |
| a homeschooling family, driven by a | | | | colour in the box when work is completed. |
| over-conscientious mother. It is a written | | | | - Photocopy the weekly assignment chart for |
| expression which reflects your home. Whether | | | | each child if you want them to work off and |
| you homeschool by a schedule, in unit studies, in a | | | | mark their own copy. |
| natural learning approach, using your own eclectic | | | | Journal and Comments Page |
| family philosophy, it is a place which allows you to | | | | - Add to your journal and comments page as |
| journal, record experiences, add comments, write | | | | needed. Remember this is a good way to keep a |
| in assignment charts, keep track of personal and | | | | family learning diary; It helps you to record the |
| family events, as well as helping you run your | | | | strengths and weaknesses of each child and |
| household in regards to chores, menus and | | | | allows you to plan what you may concentrate on |
| groceries. A Homeschool Planner can be as simple | | | | in the months to come. |
| as your require. But, I believe that the time you | | | | Other pages you may like to include in your |
| spend now in organizing your own Homeschool | | | | planner are Goal Pages/ Address Lists / To Do |
| Planner will be the time you save every week the | | | | Pages and Monthly and Yearly Calendars. |
| whole year through. | | | | |