10 Things to Include in Your Homeschool Planner – Because Paper Planners Rock!!

{Note: This is my ultimate unit study planner in the photo above with multiple cover choices.}

Homeschoolers by nature are do it yourself type of people and the homeschool planners we use are no different. I am pretty fussy about mine, which is why I created the free 7 step homeschool planner. And today, in sharing 10 things to include in your homeschool planner, it’s all about making your planner unique and as creative as you want it to be.

Your Homeschool Needs Change Each Year  – So Should Your Planner – Build It!

Look at some of these ideas and the best thing is that most of these things below are free here on my site.

1. Field Trip Tracking/Planning Forms.

Whether you want to track field trips for the year or need to plan them for a group, grab these forms.

Grab the field trip reference chart too so that when planning you stretch yourself to think of places (other than the museum or zoo) outside of your comfort zone.

2. Inspirational Quotes.

Inspirational quotes are tiny power packing nuggets of energy.

They give me a boost when I feel like falling off the homeschool wagon. Grab some of them to sprinkle throughout your planner and use it for the front and/or back of your planner.

3. Planning Schedule.

I say this often, but there is no need to try to plan your homeschool year by writing in tiny boxes on a calendar or using the same calendar where you write down appointments.

You need to have a separate page where you keep your school schedule for the year and track it too. You can grab one from the link above (or Step 5a) or grab this current one above from my blog category for organizational printables, which has all my current ones.

4. Calendars, of course, BUT pretty ones.

No need to give up style when you homeschool. Pretty colors for calendars, please and I have them.

You can choose from academic or physical year calendars each year and I normally give you about two or three color choices each.

5. 2 Page Spread Calendar – Appointment Keeper

The calendar above is for reference, but of course there is no way I am writing around those tiny numbers.

I create and use the two page spread calendar appointment keepers each year and keep all appointments on those pages.

By the way, I have the new year up already, which you can get on that same page.

6. Holiday List – 5 Years Worth

I love this page because it is a great reference for long term planning and I update it each year. I have several of them spread out throughout my planner so I can access it quickly.

7. Important Dates.

Everyone tracks differently and I like to keep one area where I can look at a glance at important dates, whether they are blog related, personal or homeschool.

It’s just the way my brain thinks.

8. Lesson Planning Pages – well of course, BUT . . .

Lesson planning pages come in MANY different forms and I have seen many of them. However, I prefer room to write and prefer daily lesson planning pages.

Undated pages, that is too. Just fill in the current date and move on to the next page instead of feeling like you are behind if you can’t school a day or two because life happens.

I have many different choices of lesson planning pages here on my site.

The link above is my main page with free lesson planning pages where you can learn about the basic differences, but I also have my unit study planner and glam it up pages lesson planning pages.

9. Journal pages

Then plenty of places to write  down your thoughts, funny moments and yes even doodling is allowed in planners.

Grab plenty of journal pages because I have so many of them.

10. Swoon worthy DIY (yes they’re editable) tabs.

Then because I made my curriculum planner a whole DIY project, even the little things matter like tabs.

I hope this list gives you an idea of the small, but practical and beautiful things to add to your own homeschool planner.

Are you ready to start building your own homeschool planner?

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You!

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Hugs and love ya,