I have been struggling to find a planner that I enjoy for my homeschool. Online seems the way to go, but it just wasn't working for me. I wanted something more with paper and pen than online. So, I'm very thankful that I got this planner. I have heard some negatives because of the amount of writing that is involved--there are no dates, and this seemed to be a drawback to people. However, for me, this was the reason I bought this planner! I'll explain why in my explanation of this planner.
I like the cover, though I will say, the spiral binding was a bit damaged when I got it. I never complained because it was only a crack, and it doesn't stop me from using it at all. The cover itself is a pretty durable plastic and it really protects the planner. Next is the pocket inside. (I don't really use them, but it would be handy if I needed it! LOL) The next couple of pages are a calendar showing you quite a few years. (I have from 2015-2023!) I don't see this as necessary--it's only a one-year planner...and I definitely am not planning that far ahead! But the reason I think they do this is so that these planners are good for quite a few years--I could have used this planner last year if I knew about it, and they don't have to reprint until it gets closer to 2023. So, it is practical for them, not so much for me. :D
Next, is the place where you record your information. You place the school year, the name of your school (we always have fun naming our school year by year), and other personal information (email address, kids names/grades, address, etc). The next few pages are filled with lots of information--explaining how to use the planner, a breakdown of ways to use the planner--including yearly, monthly, and weekly. This was a little overwhelming for me. I find I am NOT able to plan this far ahead, and I almost did not get this planner when I saw reviews that mentioned how much planning is involved in this! I don't use the yearly planning guide or even the monthly planning guide! After the instructions, you will find a place to write students' names and their character and academic goals. I really liked this part because it helped me really focus in on what I wanted to teach each child. I like looking at the goals from time to time and really seeing how my teaching is measuring up--both in the classroom and out of it.
Next is another section that I did not use--a family priority list and a student resource list. I kinda got this planner last minute, so already had my resources lined out. I would use this section in the future to see how the work is going for my students and making sure I'm not overworking them/underworking them.
After this, is a blank set of months, which again, I don't use. I like having my calendar on my computer which integrates all of our schedules together. It just seems redundant to have to put it all on this paper copy as well. For someone who doesn't like digital calendars, this would be a good reminder for them.
Now to what I REALLY like about the planner, and why I would probably get this planner again. This is definitely and obviously a planner from a Christian perspective. The weekly planner begins with two pages. The first page has a nice quote--sometimes a prayer, sometimes something inspirational--followed by a Bible Plan, Battle Plan (where you can write a verse to help you fight through the week--do they understand homeschoolers, or what??!!), next a Prayers section, and then one for Hospitality and Outreach. On the other page, is one for "This Week's Memorable Moments" and "Evidences of Grace". Again, the Christian themes run deep which is a huge positive for me. I love filling these sections out, and it helps me to look back and see how things are progressing in the year. After these two pages is the weekly planner itself. There are six columns and six rows spread across two pages. On the right hand side is space to write Notes, Supplies, and Appointments. Again, I usually don't use this section, though I'm seeing where I should sometimes! I use this planner differently than they suggest. I have Monday through Saturday running down the left-hand side (labelling the rows). On the tops, I have our subjects: Bible, Reading, Science/Social Studies/Music, Writing, English, and Math. This has been a life-saver for me, and something I would recommend to anyone who needs a more flexible system. POST-IT NOTES ARE YOUR FRIEND!!! I find the square post-it notes to be perfect to fit inside each square. So, I write what we are PLANNING on doing for a day on the post-it note. Then, after the school day is complete, I take off the post-it note and write what we actually did. Sometimes, most times, things go as planned. But, when that off day happens--kids get sick, mom gets sick, mom needs a mini-vacation--I'm not feeling stressed or like I have to do a lot of erasing/white-outing. I just move the post-it notes around and presto...I'm back on track! This is what makes this planner great for me--this planner and post-it notes really make it worthwhile! However, the squares aren't huge. Many times I need to use abbreviations just to fit everything I'm doing with two kids. Her abbreviations box is in the instructions page, however, and I find inconvenient to have, so I don't use it. I know my abbreviations and don't find it confusing. (My third is a pre-pre-Preschooler at 2 years of age, so I'm not writing her plans out.) If you have a lot of kids, it might be difficult to write everything in these squares, but it works for me at this point. The weekly planner is the majority of this planner--over 200 pages--and the reason I love it. So, I would highly recommend this planner just for that reason. I love my system, and I finally found something that works! This was really difficult for me to do. This is my third year homeschooling and the first year I actually think I have something that I can use!
Finally is the records page which, again, I don't use. It's just not necessary, and we are not required to keep grades where I live. So, I don't use that part. I think I wouldn't use it and would rather make my own system when the time comes and my kids are of an age where they need to do more than just complete their work in order to proceed. (Like high school or middle school.)
That being said, there is a lot to this planner that I just find superfluous. I understand that they are trying to make this planner work for the majority of homeschoolers. If you are "one of those" kinds of people that like to highly plan a year in advance, this planner will work well for you. If you are looking for a planner that is not religious based, you might find this planner more frustrating to use. On each planner page is an inspirational quote, mostly of a religious nature. So, you might find this over-the-top. Again, I really like the weekly planner aspect of this planner, which is why I would use it in the future, but it isn't perfect--there are a few things I wish they'd change. However, you might be looking for those "extras", and then will find this planner is for you! One thing I wish is that you could have the instructional pages as an option. After you have used this planner, you know how it works for you, and those extra pages are just not necessary. I really like it. I would use it again, for sure!
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Arrived with defective/broken spiral binding.
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2018
We love this planner. We have tried several over the years, and now that we've found this one we are on our 5th (one each over 5 years). The last one arrived with a defective/broken spiral binding. We figured we would just deal with it, but have gotten to the point where we hate this particular binder. If anyone knows how to source a replacement spiral binder, please let us know - we would gladly cut this out and thread the replacement back into the pages.Minus one star for quality control failure ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2018
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