Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

curriculum planner

Free 5 Year Holidays List – 7 Step Homeschool Planner

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I normally like to get my free 5 year holidays list – 7 Step Homeschool Planner done this month and I got it done kind of early.  Don’t you love it when you get things done a bit earlier?

Today, I have the first choice of the 5 Year Holidays List, which has the years 2015 to 2019 on it.

I love this reference page and try to put it in each planner I have and it doesn’t hurt to have several placed throughout your 7 Step Homeschool Planner.

I use to add holidays to the calendars but everybody likes to track holidays differently and too not everybody observes the same ones.

A handy reference page has worked much better for planning and allows you to plan long range too. 

Free 5 Year Holidays List  – 2015 to 2019

Passion pink is the first color choice today. I have to keep a bit of a girly girl name on it.

I want to give you a heads up too because I have another color choice coming soon, which is turquoise gem because I know you love turquoise like I do too.

Choose one of each color, which the other color choice is coming soon or print off several of one color.

Holidays Listed 2015 to 2019 passion pink

 Download here Free 5 Year Holiday List 2015 to 2018

Hope you like this handy reference as much as I do.

Did you grab my other new free printables ?

Free Back Cover Pages 7 Step Homeschool Planner

Free Year At a Glance Form – For those Buried in the Organizing Details

If you can’t wait to get started building your 7 Step Homeschool Planner, follow the steps below:

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

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,

Tina 2015 Signature

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If You Need A Homeschool Planner If You Are Figuring Out Your Own Curriculum? Dynamic Reader Question

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I am eager to answer your dynamic reader’s questions because all of your questions are just the best.  Too, I couldn’t wait to dig into answering this dynamic reader question if you need a homeschool planner if you are figuring out your own curriculum.

Leesha said:

“I’m curious, do moms generally need planners if they are figuring out their own curriculum?  I read so much about planners but I’m a little stymied…I’m just not sure how or why I would use one.  I use a few different curriculi that pretty much map out exactly what we need to do (or I just decide, ie. math–4 pages per day kind of thing). We generally figure out at the start of the year which subjects need to be done however many times per week and we’ll write that down to reference until it’s memorized. I’m just wondering if I’m missing out on something important I should be doing?”

There are many reasons why you would use a planner and just as many ways deciding how to use it.

WHEN A HOMESCHOOL PLANNER ROCKS

Whether you are using one curriculum completely or making your own lesson plans, there are 3 reasons worth considering using a planner.

  • When a Planner is more Journal than Planning. One feature of planners that is not given enough attention is the journaling or record keeping part of it.

In the beginning when I used a planner I was using more put together curriculum. Each day, I wrote down what we did for the day.

What we did for the day versus what was in the lesson plan often times ended up being totally different things. Some days, we did more and other days we struggled to complete even one lesson.

A huge advantage to plotting each of my children’s day was that a picture emerged of their strengths and weakness. For example, I could see how much one son was actually not completing in math because of his struggle with the subject.

In the future this know-how helped me to determine a pace good for him when I switched programs or when I started doing all my own lesson planning.

Little did I know that my journaling in the beginning would help me to not only keep a good pulse on what we were able to do each day, but to track my children’s progress.

  • Completion versus Comprehension. That brings me to the second benefit I have received, which is understanding the difference between a child completing a lesson plan (in laid out curriculum or not) or comprehending.

When I used boxed curriculum, I started making notations on side margins in the teacher’s manual of what my sons struggled with and did not master or comprehend even though the lesson was completed.

The next year, I would hunt for those notes to reread because it was important to me to see if my sons were progressing.

However, as organized as I tried to be, it was tough to put my hands-on the correct teacher’s manual because of the numerous amounts of teacher’s manual that grew each year.

It was just too hard to keep everything from one year and not overflow with clutter.

I realized that having my notes for all my kids in one spot to jot down my concerns, write about my fears with tears, be specific in my notes about what was not understood in one subject and jump for joy when learning took giant steps forwarded was a must for me.

One book per year for all my children was a much more streamlined process because I could easily glance back at my thorough notes.

  • Planner or Self-Checking Teacher Tool. My planner became a self-checking tool for me as a teacher because I could check for mastery and push myself, when needed, outside of my comfortable teaching zone because my notes were so clear.

I couldn’t blame anybody else for my lack of teaching ability because I had jotted down so carefully what didn’t work for my children.

The accomplishments in their learning can’t be minimized either because I jotted them down too.

Each year when I got discouraged, I would go back and read my notes. Part of my dogged determination to not returning to public school was reading about those tiny celebrations in my planner.

You know what I am talking about. Those light bulb moments for your children that are small but monumental and that only another teaching parent can understand. When a child reads his first word, then sentence, then paragraph, then chapter book, you can’t keep that excitement bottled up. For me, it started with reading my notes in my planner.

I didn’t need the approval of anybody else to homeschool because I wasn’t just checking off boxes on a teacher’s manual, I was tracking the progress of my sons from PreK to High school by daily journaling.

I can’t personally answer for each homeschooler what works best for them to see both a big picture and fine details when it comes to the progress of each child.

I just know what has worked for me and it is hard at times to just use the word planner because it implies that one is using a planner only for purposes of planning when in fact it can be so much more.
Whatever you decide, whether it’s using an app, typed out or hand-written, a planner should be a tool that fits your personality, brings a breath of fresh air to your day and should be molded to fit the way you want to track not just lessons, but forward momentum.

Hugs and love ya,

 

Check out these other tips!

Gauging Homeschool Progress – Masters of their Material?

Lesson Plan or Lesson Journal?

How to Write a Simple But Effective Homeschool Lesson Plan

Homeschool Lesson Planning Backwards Part 2 of 2.

Free Back Cover Pages 7 Step Homeschool Planner

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Last year when I was bringing over all my lapbooks from the old Dynamic 2 Moms lapbook site and started my blog here on WordPress, it consumed by time.

I had way more forms I wanted to create and share with you as I build the free 7 Step Homeschool Planner each year for us.  It’s hard to control the itch because I love planners and planning so much.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

So today, I have four free back cover pages to add to the growing number of planner pages to make our curriculum planner pretty, pretty, pretty and not to mention unique.

These pages are going to eventually make their way to the permanent page which is Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover but you can grab them below too underneath each thumbnail.

The way I created the pages, you can either use them as an insert or divider or even to fill in the back of a blank page or as a back cover page to your planner.

Too, I chose a few homeschool quotes because you know I love them and because they are so inspirational when we look at it each day.

It was hard to control myself with the color by not adding too much.

I want you to know I tried, but I get the creative itch and can get carried away with color because I love it and am such a visual person.

I think these came out without too much color to them.

Download this page here.

Download this page here.

Download this page here.

Download this page here.

Hope you love them and they’ll be here for both of us when we need them.

Hugs and love ya

 

Check out this other post which has the 7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

If you are ready to get started building your free curriculum planner, check out my over 200 free downloads and growing! Let me help you STEP by STEP.

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!

7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I started creating the 7 Step Homeschool Planner quite a few years ago and before I started sharing with you, I had no idea that other homeschoolers had the same needs that I did.

Before I share the 7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites of my readers, I wanted to take a minute to explain how to use it so that you are getting the most benefit from it.

Homeschool Planner Favorites

What makes the 7 Step Homeschool Planner so UNIQUE?

The top feature of the planner is that YOU pick exactly what you need each. 
Your needs change each year and so should your planner.

No downloading one huge .pdf of forms that may not be what you need for this year and laid out in way that works for somebody else. You are in control. (I love that word.)

7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

The nightmare of paying and downloading a planner that is set up to suit the needs of somebody else never works exactly the same for you.

The other top feature is that I guide you STEP by STEP through the 7 Steps or sections needed in a planner. I got you covered so that way you don’t miss something significant for the year.

I take the guesswork out of it for you.

Too, though I suggest that you put them in the order that I explain, a huge advantage to you hand picking each form is that you get to arrange the order of the sections.

Everybody has a method to their madness and your planner should speak volumes about the way you prefer to organize.

Although I could go on about how I add forms each year, give you tidbits on organizing along the way and tell you there are free forms at every step, which is another perk, the last advantage is that each planner is unique because my pages are not matchy-match.

The mix and match style keeps your planner just plain awesome. Your planner will always be unique because of the pages you choose each year

You can read some more key features of my planner on the 7 Step Homeschool Planner main page.

Without making you wait any longer, here are my readers’ Top 10 Favorites of my 7 Step Free Homeschool Planner.

Going from dazzling to totally awesome order, I started with number 10 on the list.

My teacher’s schedule gives you a glimpse of at least 3 kids at one time.

Tina Robertson Homeschool Schedule

10.  Teacher’s Schedule.  Look here on STEP 5b, Form 13.Class & Teacher Schedules to find  this form.

9. Then, you loved the planning sheet when planning for multiple children.Look here on STEP 5c, Form 2. Planning Sheet for Homeschooling Multiple Children to find this form.

And you can read about how I use the planning sheet on 5 Days Of The Benefits & Challenges of Teaching Mixed Ages Together – Day 4: Embrace Homeschooling Multiple Grades.

Look here on STEP 5c, Form 1. Community Service Record to find this form.

I love forms created out of a need because they are always the best instead of a fluff form for the sake of busy record keeping.

8. Then the community service tracker was created out of my need to track my highschoolers community service projects and apparently some of you were in need of it too.

7. Then like me, you also liked the 5 page holiday reference page in your planner.It is perfect in any planner and print off as many as you like.  You were really fond of the turquoise luv (me too.)

Look here on STEP 2 Option 5 Holiday Reference Page to find this form. 

Be sure you check out my Ultimate Unit Study Planner and Glam it Up Planner because each one serves a different purpose just like each of my unique forms do.

Look here on STEP 2, Option 5 Long Range Planning to find this form.

6. Then you know I am big on long range planning and goals because otherwise we just meander through homeschool with no plan. So you took it to heart too because the Long Range Planing form was number six.

Homeschool Lesson Planning Forms

5. Then you chose a back cover for one of the forms you used this year.  I think this means I need to create some more choices too since you are using it like I am.

Look here on STEP 1 Choose a Homeschool Planner Pretty Back Cover to find this form.

Look here on STEP 4 Daily Homeschool Lesson Planning form to find this form.

4. Then the daily lesson pages which are undated, thank you, so we don’t feel like we are behind from the beginning came in at number four.  A lot of you are using this lesson planning set up.

3.  Then there was a real need to clearly identify which curriculum resource was needed for which term and which child.  So the Curriculum Resources page was in your top 3 choices as a way to track curriculum resources.

Look here on STEP 5a, Form 4. Curriculum Resource Checklist – Editable Too! Up to 4 students on one page to find this form.

Look at these other fun planner pages

2. Then number 2. This is the beautiful 2 pages per month calendar with bigger boxes to write in for appointments.

Look here on STEP 2 Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers to find this form.

and then drum roll please . . .

Curriculum Pages for Planner

1. Weekly General Planning page came in at first place with 8,384 of you downloading it.

Look here on STEP 5b, Form 17. General Weekly Planning Page.  You can choose the free version or I have made the paid version editable with a WHOPPING 74 boxes.  Of course since it’s undated, it’s a one time purchase.

A lot of my other forms were neck in neck with these, but these showed the top number downloaded. Did your favorites make the list?

Remember too, I always, always take your suggestions for new forms because this is planner is for me AND for you.

7 Step Homeschool Planner – Top 10 Favorites

I am so glad that I have a place here where I can share all my homeschool planning forms.

Are you seeing what I have already created free for this coming school year?

Click here to go to my Free Organizing Printables category to grab them.

Hugs and love ya,

7 Step Homeschool Planner - Top 10 Reader Favorites

Ready to start building your own UNIQUE planner?

{The only thing quick here are the steps because this free planner has grown to over 500+ free downloads spread throughout the 7 easy steps and still going strong! Grab your cup of caffeine, coffee!}

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

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! Not a kazillion other people

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!

I am PROUD to be part of iHN.  This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Free Year At a Glance Form For Moms Buried in the Organizing Details

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a gorgeous free year at a glance form for you today.

I promised you that when I talked about Planning Homeschool When Drowning in a Sea of Ideas I would share my fix for my planning struggle.

Instead of staying buried in the details which I have a tendency to do on my Glam It Up Planner, Unit Study Planner and my 7 Step DIY Homeschool Planner, I always struggle with the broad strokes on any type of planning.

Year at a Glance Printable Form

First, you know I am not a fan of having house management printables, homeschooling, and blogging stuff all jumbled together in one planner.

Too, weekly homeschool planners which give you teeny tiny boxes to write in is now how I roll.

Free Year At a Glance Form For Moms Buried in the Organizing Details

Detailed day to day lesson planning requires writing space and I have found that daily planning overall is much better. 

Each area of life needs to have details worked out. With that being said, I do see adding a few pages of menu planning or week at a glance pages to keep you seeing the broad strokes while you homeschool.

And since most of us wear more than one hat whether we homeschool, we are just plain busy mommas.

So now that you know I always tackle details first and I have pages in my 7 Step DiY Homeschool Planner for looking at the big picture in those specific areas of life. But, my struggle is looking at ALL of it!

Today, I have my fix for those buried in the organizing details and I have created a free at year at a glance form. 

I wanted to keep it free so that all of you could benefit. I try to keep my prices down for my products, but I really wanted this form available to all of you so I kept it free.

I have already filled in some of my goals for January’ I’m loving this new glance at a year form because it helps to be honed in on one area of life. 

It has already helped me to clearly see projects that I need to pull back away from and look at the big picture so that I can make the next goal.

Free Year at a Glance Form

Look at the Year at a Glance form which I have for you and me. 

Print one or two or however many you need and put it with your planner to remind yourself to keep looking ahead at your yearly goals and to keep tracking them.

Can you believe that it was painful for me to create this because I wanted to fine tune it some more for detail?

I refused to let myself go there because I needed a place to plug in general homeschooling plans, personal goals and just you name it any type of goal for the year.

Also, in the busy mayhem homeschooling sometimes I have forgotten what makes me move and rock when I need to and that is inspirational quotes.


Though I tell you how much I love them and share them occasionally, I try to limit myself on posting them at the end of my blog posts sometimes because I tend to give detailed blog posts talk a lot.  I can’t help it, I have a lot to say.

Getting back to what makes me stay on fire throughout the the whole long year of homeschooling, parenting, helping other homeschoolers and generally just being energized about life, I added a section to the top of the year at a glance form on the right side for a quote of the year.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

Your quote of the year may just be a few words that you are focusing on or verse that you are fond of. 

This year I came across a saying on Pinterest which struck a chord with me.

This is the year I will be stronger, braver, kinder and UNSTOPPABLE. This year I will be FIERCE.

Some years I have just wanted to mildly goal plan and other years, like this one I need some fierceness.

With a few trips planned back to the states this year and in between catching up on homeschooling, updating my blog and writing a book along with some other changes, it will be one hectic rocking year.

By the way, I wanted to update you on what came from this form. Look at what I accomplished the next few years with this year at a glance form.

A bit of encouragement for you too. Whether you meet your goals or not is not the sign of success, but by planning you greatly increase your chance of successfully meeting them.

It is better to plan than to not plan.  Also, though I remind you of this, I need the reminder myself too and that is, as I explained in Planning Homeschool When Drowning in a Sea of Ideas don’t over plan.

Over planning and not meeting goals is just a road for burnout. 

With goals clearly marked in order from 1 to 12, a plan stays reachable.

Then at the bottom  of the form, I left an area for a 6 month evaluation to write in what you have successfully done and what you may want to work on half way through the year.

Too, sometimes goals can completely change mid-year. 

We may have a child struggling with a subject that we may think it will take all year to master and they may do it in three months.

Again, big picture goals change and hopefully, this general year at a glance form will keep all the goals you make wrangled in one place to remind you and me both to look up sometime.

I hope you love the new form as much I do.

Remember it’s a two page spread so be sure to bind it that way in any planner you use of mine.

Look at these other homeschool planner products that I know you’ll love!

7 Easy Steps DIY Homeschool Planner – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your 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! Not a kazillion other people

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!

How to Download this Freebie.
It’s a Subscriber Only Gift.

From time to time, I do Subscriber Freebies only. This is a subscriber freebie. I do this to show my appreciation and because I want you to follow me and give me a chance to make a difference in your homeschool.

Too, when you join my email list, you get access to my Subscriber’s Only Exclusive Library of Freebies.

This is how you get access to this form quickly.
1) Sign up on my list.
2) Confirm your email.
3) Look for the automatic reply giving you the password to the private subscriber’s area. You should have it soon.

IF you are already a follower/subscriber, PLEASE do NOT email me asking how to find it. You may not want to wait on me replying since I get bombarded with emails.

IF you’ll find the MOST RECENT email from me, the password and link to the Subscribers Area are ALWAYS at the bottom of every email. Look for the most current email since I change the password frequently.

And be sure to check out my Free Organizing Printables Category because I plod along my blog and may have new forms that are not listed yet on one of 7 Steps.

Free Year At a Glance Form For Moms Buried in the Organizing Details

Hugs and love ya,

Year At a Glance Planning Tina's @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus