I keep homeschool planning calendars for reference, appointment keepers or two pages per month calendars and the holiday reference pages on this step.
STEP 2. Choose Calendar/Appointment Keepers
On this step I keep 2 of the 3 calendars here which I create each year.
You need ALL 3 different types of calendars in your 7 Step Homeschool Planner.
Important Update: All of my forms begin July to June..
The first set of calendars here on STEP 2 are regular calendars (reference calendars) for reference purposes.
The second set of calendars here on STEP 2 are the 2 pages per month Appointment Keepers which have bigger boxes for writing dates.
The third set of calendars are on STEP 5A which are the calendars for planning your school year.
Curriculum Pages for Planner
When finished here on STEP 2, click on the graphic to go to the next STEP 3.
If you print now, remember to print double sided or front/back. There are special instructions for printing the 1 month per 2 page spread Appointment Calendar.
4 Options. Choose one or more!
Option 1A. Reference Calendar. Academic Year.
Important Note: ALL of my academic calendars begin in July and end in June.
This doesn’t mean you have to school that way or that you begin and end your year then either. It does mean that you can pick up on my forms at anytime you begin your year. Please see my post 7 Step Free Homeschool Planner – Top 5 Questions Asked Are Answeredabout questions you may have.
Option 2A. Two-Page Per Month Calendar. Academic Year.
Purpose: More room For Tracking Important Dates.
I use classical fonts on the calendar. Too, if I am going to use a calendar for the year, I want a calendar that inspires me each day, i.e. I have to have color. If you do not track school weeks, {which is real easy record keeping even for states or countries that don’t require it} then use those areas to either write notes, special events for that month or a to-do list.
Tracking weeks that you are in school is the easiest or the very basics of record keeping. Though I don’t have to do anything here in Texas, I feel it’s important to be accountable because as your children grow and enter high school, it becomes important. So I went ahead and added a box for that because I want to reflect my experience in my forms which helps you to be better organized.
Important All of my forms for the academic calendar begin July and end June.So this is a full 12 year.
July, 2023 to June, 2024 – Two pages Per Month Calendar. Dawn Color.
July, 2023 to June, 2024 – Two pages Per Month Calendar. Orchid Color.
Option 2B. Two-Page Monthly Calendar. PHYSICAL Year
*Note physical year calendar, and at the top of January, it has a place for noting when you start school and end school.
Purpose: To note future studies, objectives, important dates, purchase of products, upcoming events, etc. Provides a place to check off as done.
*Note: This page can be used on one of your blank pages that you may have if you used the two page monthly calendar spread. This is also a black and white document if you want to not use your color ink.
Another version of long range planning is to plan by the year. This is for you if are a color lover and prefer a two page spread for the year.
Subscriber freebie.
Option 4. Major U.S. Holidays 5 Year on One Reference Page
Purpose: To help you fill out your calendars and notate holidays you wish to observe or to note for planning purposes. Two color choices!
5 Years on ONE reference page. Years 2022 to 2025
*Note: This is not all of the holidays but I have listed major ones. Also, this page can be used on one of the blank pages you may have if you used the two page monthly calendar spread.
Since multiple years are listed in column forms on one page, this is also a great reference tool for long-range planning.
You may want to print one of each color and put at the back and front inside covers for easy reference.
How to Get the Free Regular Calendars, Long Range Planning, and Holiday Reference Pages
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However, not all of my freebies are in the library (wink).
I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.
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Hi! Newbie homeschooler here 🙂 I am just now starting to plan. We had a life changing situation (sounds ominous but it really isn’t) and have decided to homeschool! I am trying to print out option 2 calendar. I’m almost in tears because I am following the instructions but it isn’t printing right at all! For example, when I go to place my months in order: July 2013 is on the left and July 2013 notes is on the right (if binder laying flat). BUT when I turn the page, instead of August 2013 being the next month… I have June 2014 on right and left sides. Turn page again and I have August 2013 on left side and another June 2014 on right side. If I try to line it up correctly with August 2013 notes section on the right side…then I turn the page and I have May 2014…. I am totally lost on how to print this thing. If I haven’t completely confused you, can you possibly tell me what I may be doing wrong?
Oh Christy..I am SO sorry you are having trouble, that is totally aggravating!
However, there are 2 SETS OF INSTRUCTIONS and you did not tell which one you are doing.
Are you doing the first set of instructions or the second set of instructions on that page?
Let me know if you figured out how to do it., if not I don’t mind communicating here until you understand it…Sorry again you are frustrated but I promise once you figure it out, it is NIFTY…
I am trying to print the 2 page academic year calendar. The instructions say to remove December but that is for the year running Jan – Dec. So it would be different for mine (July-June) right? As of right now I have printed pages 3-25 odd only. It looks like I have July 2014 on top and the last page is June 2015. That would be in order top to bottom page 3-25 odd only.
If I move page 3 to the bottom and put it back in my printer, it will grab the top sheet first which is page 5 and print on the other side of it, which is what I think you mean. I am not sure which page to remove though. Am I supposed to remove page 25 from the stack? Meaning remove June 2015?
Tammysays
I got it figured out. Two things that confused me were:
1. Using the physical calendar as the example and referred to “removing December”. It might be easier to just use the page numbers for reference.
2. The instructions say “After it finishes printing, reverse the order of your stack or move the top page to the bottom.” For some reason I could not picture what you were saying. I kept trying to figure out why moving the top page to the bottom would put things in order. LOL Once I started just thinking it through on my own I figured out just to reverse the whole stack. Once I did that, I realized that you meant to remove page 25 from the stack when you said to remove December.
All in all I was probably just over complicating and tired, but I thought I would point this out so maybe it would help someone. 🙂 Thanks again for this great site!
Oh and do you have any ideas on something to put in the planner to hold a pen and/or a pencil? I don’t think I want a zipper bag like would go into a binder. Not sure if there is any other sort of item that would hold just a pen or pencil.
Mariesays
Hey! I like this opportunity to make my own planner and someone else did three quarters of the work! Thank you for giving back in this way. I am a bit disappointed in the calendar options. My school year is August – July. I can make my own but maybe you would want to add in more choices for others. Thank you for your work. I know you like doing what you’re doing. 🙂
In helping others to be more organized, there is a reason I use July and that is because you don’t wait to plan until August or when you start to school. Starting to plan a little earlier out keeps it from becoming overwhelming. The planner is to use for planning and for when you start to school.
Also though I use my forms with my family and I share them freely with others and know that sometimes it won’t work for everybody.
Hello my name is Kalene. I am about to start homeschooling my 2.5 yr old son in the next couple of weeks. I have been looking around for a custom planner and this one is awesome. I was wondering what kind of paper to use to print the pages on. Should I use card stock for all pages or is regular paper ok?
Cardstock will make it too thick and besides it is not easy to erase if you are writing the day’s lesson.
Plain old paper is just perfect for this planner. Save your cardstock and put the money in using the color in all the pages.. Your planner will be 1/4 the size and streamlined by using regular paper..
Hi! Newbie homeschooler here 🙂 I am just now starting to plan. We had a life changing situation (sounds ominous but it really isn’t) and have decided to homeschool! I am trying to print out option 2 calendar. I’m almost in tears because I am following the instructions but it isn’t printing right at all! For example, when I go to place my months in order: July 2013 is on the left and July 2013 notes is on the right (if binder laying flat). BUT when I turn the page, instead of August 2013 being the next month… I have June 2014 on right and left sides. Turn page again and I have August 2013 on left side and another June 2014 on right side. If I try to line it up correctly with August 2013 notes section on the right side…then I turn the page and I have May 2014…. I am totally lost on how to print this thing. If I haven’t completely confused you, can you possibly tell me what I may be doing wrong?
Oh Christy..I am SO sorry you are having trouble, that is totally aggravating!
However, there are 2 SETS OF INSTRUCTIONS and you did not tell which one you are doing.
Are you doing the first set of instructions or the second set of instructions on that page?
Let me know if you figured out how to do it., if not I don’t mind communicating here until you understand it…Sorry again you are frustrated but I promise once you figure it out, it is NIFTY…
I am trying to print the 2 page academic year calendar. The instructions say to remove December but that is for the year running Jan – Dec. So it would be different for mine (July-June) right? As of right now I have printed pages 3-25 odd only. It looks like I have July 2014 on top and the last page is June 2015. That would be in order top to bottom page 3-25 odd only.
If I move page 3 to the bottom and put it back in my printer, it will grab the top sheet first which is page 5 and print on the other side of it, which is what I think you mean. I am not sure which page to remove though. Am I supposed to remove page 25 from the stack? Meaning remove June 2015?
I got it figured out. Two things that confused me were:
1. Using the physical calendar as the example and referred to “removing December”. It might be easier to just use the page numbers for reference.
2. The instructions say “After it finishes printing, reverse the order of your stack or move the top page to the bottom.” For some reason I could not picture what you were saying. I kept trying to figure out why moving the top page to the bottom would put things in order. LOL Once I started just thinking it through on my own I figured out just to reverse the whole stack. Once I did that, I realized that you meant to remove page 25 from the stack when you said to remove December.
All in all I was probably just over complicating and tired, but I thought I would point this out so maybe it would help someone. 🙂 Thanks again for this great site!
Oh and do you have any ideas on something to put in the planner to hold a pen and/or a pencil? I don’t think I want a zipper bag like would go into a binder. Not sure if there is any other sort of item that would hold just a pen or pencil.
Hey! I like this opportunity to make my own planner and someone else did three quarters of the work! Thank you for giving back in this way. I am a bit disappointed in the calendar options. My school year is August – July. I can make my own but maybe you would want to add in more choices for others. Thank you for your work. I know you like doing what you’re doing. 🙂
Hi Marie,
You are welcome.
In helping others to be more organized, there is a reason I use July and that is because you don’t wait to plan until August or when you start to school. Starting to plan a little earlier out keeps it from becoming overwhelming. The planner is to use for planning and for when you start to school.
Also though I use my forms with my family and I share them freely with others and know that sometimes it won’t work for everybody.
Hello my name is Kalene. I am about to start homeschooling my 2.5 yr old son in the next couple of weeks. I have been looking around for a custom planner and this one is awesome. I was wondering what kind of paper to use to print the pages on. Should I use card stock for all pages or is regular paper ok?
Hi Kalene,
Cardstock will make it too thick and besides it is not easy to erase if you are writing the day’s lesson.
Plain old paper is just perfect for this planner. Save your cardstock and put the money in using the color in all the pages.. Your planner will be 1/4 the size and streamlined by using regular paper..