Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

How to Toss Your Homeschool Lesson Plans and Still Get Stuff Done: Practical Tips to Stop Over-Planning

By Adrienne Bolton

Written by Adrienne Bolton of The Mommy Mess.

The best first step in tossing your homeschool lesson plans is trying for years to stick to them to little (or no) avail.

I cannot tell you how many different ways I’ve tried to create useful lesson plans over the years. I’ve filled everything from trendy homeschool mom planners to basic spiral notebooks with my good intentions.

stop over-planning homeschool lesson plans

No matter the system I haven’t found anything fool-proof. In nine years of homeschooling, there hasn’t been a single year that has ever gone as planned.

Why I thought this year would be any different shall remain a mystery, but the first few weeks of school have painfully reminded me that homeschool lesson plans are useless.

How to Toss Your Homeschool Lesson Plans

Are you like me in that you let overplanning or start and finish dates set the tone for your school year?

Do you feel defeated when you get off track or worry you’re “behind” when life gets in the way?

You are not alone!

What does tossing the lesson plan look like for me?

Usually, at the end of a long school day, I’m looking down at a list of plans I penciled in weeks earlier, blissfully unaware of whatever future interruptions would get the best of us on this particular day. The assignments are almost never complete, and I’m often left feeling discouraged.

Yuck.

After a long day last week, I set my planner aside out of frustration and decided to jot down some notes on what we had successfully covered that day, highlighting the positives, no matter how small.

It was an “ah-ha” moment for me. We had covered a ton of material, but seeing what we hadn’t gotten to on the lesson (over)plan was keeping me from celebrating our accomplishments that day.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Incomplete tasks on the lesson (over)plan were keeping me from celebrating our accomplishments.” quote=”Seeing what we hadn’t gotten to on the lesson (over)plan was keeping me from celebrating our accomplishments.”]

Keep a record of what you complete instead of a list of what you want to get done.

Because we all know what we wanted to get done isn’t going to happen!

Homeschooling happens at home. It’s not a brick and mortar building designated for one common goal. Plenty of other activity goes on inside a family home. There are daily interruptions, distractions, and challenges. Staying on track feels impossible some days.

Instead of lesson “planning,” think lesson…journaling.

Sit down at the end of the day and make a list of your accomplishments.

  • What subjects did you cover?
  • Where did discussion lead?
  • What sparked interest in your child?
  • Did you go anywhere? (Don’t forget learning happens anywhere!)
  • What worked great?
  • What time of day was most productive?
  • Did you have any nonschool related highlights? Include those too!
  • What subjects did you skip? (Plan to start with those the next day.)

As homeschool moms, we spend a lot of time worrying we haven’t gotten to everything or that we failed to cover this subject or that, but in reality, we’re covering plenty! Take note, moms. Literally.

stop over-planning homeschool lesson plans

Scrap the fancy planner.

Secondly, say goodbye to overwhelming detailed planners. Use a simple spiral notebook to journal your day or make notes about lessons as the day progresses.  Multiple subject spirals are perfect for this! I use a 5-subject spiral with pocket dividers.

Here’s my master plan: Try to cover each subject daily.

The end.

Of course, I have a general idea of where we should be in each subject, but I’m not wasting my time writing it down in two different places or putting a lot of thought into sticking to a specific pace or calendar anymore. We’ll go as fast as we can.

My son’s spiral is similar with a just a list of core subjects that he needs to cover each day. Whatever subjects we don’t get to will be where we pick up tomorrow.

Ignore the publisher’s plan.

Finally, let go of whatever the lesson plan is in your teacher’s edition!

Most homeschool curriculum plans are for a 36-week school year. It could take less or more time to complete depending on the subject. Subjects like reading and literature are relative. I know how much we’re supposed to read according to my TE, but what we can actually accomplish is another story.

Math? You can only go so fast. In a perfect world, we’d complete 5-6 lessons a week. In the real world, it’s more like 3-4 lessons.

What are you going to do? Stressing out about being behind isn’t going to make the work magically disappear or complete itself any faster. Don’t get discouraged if the teacher’s edition says you should be farther along. Work at your own pace!

Isn’t that what this whole homeschooling thing is about anyway? Flexibility? Freedom?

I still forget sometimes.

Have you ever tossed your homeschool lesson plans? Did it turn out to be a good idea or a bad one?

5 Vital Questions to Ask Before Planning Your Homeschool Year

By Sara Dennis

Written by Sara Dennis of Classically Homeschooling.

I don’t know about you, but it’s planning season for me! I’m hauling up books, ordering curriculum, and printing maps like there’s no tomorrow. However, I’ve noticed that all the planning in the world doesn’t bring about an awesome homeschool year unless you think about these 5 things as you plan your homeschool.

5 Vital Questions to Ask Before Planning Your Homeschool Year

1. How much time do I have available to homeschool?

Sure, everyone talks about how there are 24 hours in a day, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds, but how much time do we actually have available?

After all, spelling takes time. Math takes time. Science takes time. So does chasing the toddlers out of the bathroom, changing a baby’s diaper, and comforting a heartbroken teenager. Parenting takes time as well.

Take a good hard look at how much time you actually have before you adding in program after program confident that this year you’ll complete it all! You’ll be surprised at how little time you truly have.

When in doubt, do less. You can always add in more later!

2. What commitments does my family have?

Are you enjoying a weekly co-op, volunteer work at the food bank, or teaching Sunday School at church?

Each of these commitments eats up some of the precious time and energy your family has even if they provide excellent learning experiences.

You’ll be exhausted if you spend every day running back and forth all over town. For instance, you might drop the kids off at football before driving across town to volunteer at the food bank. Then dash back across town to pick up the kids before rushing home. Then it’s off to the library before a quick stop by the store.

Are you tired? I am!

It’s one thing to dart around town once a week, but daily? When will you have time to homeschool? Remember, homeschooling takes time, and each commitment takes time.

As you plan the year, be careful that you’re not over-committing yourself.

3. What are my children’s goals for the upcoming school year?

Some kids dearly want to study animals, astronomy, or chemistry. Other kids want to go the zoo every year.

Before you begin your homeschool planning, ask your children what they’d like to see over the school year. Sometimes you get goofy answers such as ‘Just read!’ or ‘Play Minecraft from dawn to dusk!’

Other times you get serious answers like I did this year. My high school teens both really want to study chemistry. My little 1st and 2nd graders are interested in animals and the human body. Guess what everyone is doing for science this year!

My kids are getting their dream science programs. What do your children want?

planning homeschool year

4. How much free time will my kids have?

Free time is important for kids of all ages, even our high school teenagers. Free time is when kids dream, start projects, and learn what truly excites them.

Some kids use free time for activities such as programming a game which never truly works. But the attempt to create a game teaches them they adore programming. Even when they’re standing in the kitchen pulling out their hair because the code refuses to work.

Other teens use the time to write, and write, and write. Before you know it, they’ve written a book, or two, or three.

So keep in mind the amount of free time you’re allowing your kids to have while you’re planning your homeschool. Will your kids have enough time to follow their passions?

5. What are my homeschooling dreams?

We all begin homeschooling with a dream. The dream varies from mom to mom and family to family.

Some of us dream of involved projects and a huge garden in the backyard. Others dream of long hours reading classic children’s literature aloud to our kids. Sometimes we dream of rambling walks in the woods, introducing children to the trees and flowers of our area.

But after a year or two in the trenches, our dreams sometimes get muddied, trampled, and forgotten. We forget why we started homeschooling in the first place.

Take some time this summer to head outside, lie on the grass, and remember why you homeschool in the first place.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Take some time this summer to remember why you #homeschool in the first place.” quote=”Take some time this summer to head outside, lie on the grass, and remember why you homeschool in the first place.”]

You won’t fail your kids if you add a bit of fun to your homeschool.

The biggest problem homeschoolers have is a frantic desire to do it right and to make sure our kids don’t fail. In our fear, we add too many commitments, too many programs, and too many chores. Everyone is burnt out by October.

Make this school year different.

Watch your time and commitments so you can indulge your children’s desire, enjoy free time, and live your homeschool dream.

What are some of the things you’re planning this year?

Customizable Homeschool Planners from A Plan in Place

By Kris Bales

You what’s a weird thing about homeschool moms? Well, yeah, a lot of things, but the one I’m thinking of right now is how at this time of year, we’re as bad as our kids chomping at the bit for the school year to be over – but we’re already thinking about next year.

I know that isn’t true for everyone, especially if it’s been a rough year or you school year round. But a large percentage of us are already starting to think about next year – what classes our kids need to take, what curriculum we’ll use, whether or not we’ll join a co-op.

It’s probably the idea of a fresh, clean slate that gets us excited.

You know what else is exciting? A fresh, new personally-customized planner! Our family has used and loved the planners from A Plan in Place for several years, but they have an exciting new feature that even made my teen girl exclaim, “Oh, that’s cool!”

Now, not only can you customize the inside of your planner, but you can customize the outside, too!

What’s New with A Plan in Place Homeschool Planners?

Customizable planner covers

A Plan in Place has a couple of new options. Obviously, the one I’m most excited about is the customizable cover. The option is available for the homeschool teacher, high school, and student editions. (It’s not available on the Early Learner edition.)

You just upload your image to the Plan in Place site after you’ve chosen your planner and clicked the “custom” option under cover. You could use your children’s artwork, pictures of your kids, or favorite scenes from your last vacation. As long as you own the image, you can put it on your planner.

I used PicMonkey to create a collage of pictures that make me happy – some favorite photos of my kids and their friends. It would be fun to do a school photo as the cover each year. (Even though it wouldn’t be entirely accurate since I start planning a couple of months before the new school year.)

Wouldn’t the photo and completed planner of your year make a fabulous keepsake? If I could go back in time and have a picture of my babies the first year we homeschooled and a written reminder of all that we did…{sigh} Those of you with little ones, heads up! You’ll thank me later.

Printable PDF homeschool planners

Another new option from A Plan in Place is the option to download your planner as a PDF file. If you need your planner NOW and don’t mind printing and binding it yourself, you can choose a PDF download. The PDF version includes:

  • Cover (optional and not customized)
  • Customized weekly schedule sheets
  • Calendars
  • Goals and planning forms
  • Record keeping forms

You can customize your planner and print it out today.

What Awesome Goodness Has Stayed the Same?

Inside your custom (or PDF-printed) cover, you can still expect all the amazing features that make A Plan in Place homeschool planners my favorite.

Customized weekly schedule sheets

You can choose between one or two pages per week and if you select the customized version, they’ll have all of what you need and none of what you don’t. Choose to list your kids’ subjects with generic titles such as science, history, and math, or further customize your planner with specific subject titles each year, such as American history, biology, and Algebra I.

You can include an inspirational quote or Bible verse on each page.

Or don’t even use subject titles. If you’re an unschooling family, you might just want lots of space to record books your kids have read, activities they’ve pursued, or videos they’ve watched. Choose larger boxes with any heading you’d like. You could do something similar if you have younger kids and just want to record their activities.

You can even have spaces for your to-do list, errands that you need to run, or items you need from the store. With the custom schedule sheets, the possibilities are endless.

One of my favorite things about having the weekly schedule sheets is being able to jot down scores for graded subjects. Each day, I write down my kids’ grades for their math assignments. (You’ve got to love computer-based math with automatic grading!)

And, once a week, I jot down Megan’s grade on her astronomy quiz. That is so much easier for me than opening up grade sheets on my laptop like I used to do.

Doodle page

I love the doodle page for helping my kids with math problems. You could use it for spelling practice or a running list of items you need from the store, erasing and starting over each week. I used a wet erase pen and wrote out math formulas that I need to remember to help with algebra.

Goals and planning pages

There is space to plan out your mission statement or brainstorm subject ideas (or whatever!). There are planning pages for:

  • Developing your homeschool mission statement
  • Brainstorming
  • General daily schedule
  • Field trips
  • Menus
  • Books to read

I like to use the Family Plan pages to list the subjects each of my kids is going to take for the year and the resources we’ll use for each.

Calendars

There are two year-at-a-glance calendars – one for the current year and one for the next. I like to use those to map out my plan for our school year with the start and end dates and anticipated break weeks.

You can also get a page for each month starting with whichever month you’d like. I always start ours in July since we usually start school in late-July or early-August.

Record keeping and notes

As always, there are plenty of pages for record keeping. There are pages for resources, various expenses, and your lending library. You know, so you can remember who you loaned your books to!

My Best Tips for Customizing A Plan in Place Homeschool Planner

This year marks my third customized planner from A Plan in Place. That’s saying something coming from the girl who didn’t think she needed a planner. I thought I’d share a few tips with you to make the most of your customized planner.

Do the planning worksheet ahead of time. You can print a planning sheet to help you brainstorm your customized planner. I strongly encourage you to do this before you sit down to order your planner. First, it will save you time as you go through the ordering process. Second, and most important, it will help to ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Get at least one pocket. You will be so sad if you don’t get at least one pocket in your planner. There is always going to be some loose something you need to keep handy.

Every year, I type up a list of the kid’s math lessons and tests in order. Because they use Teaching Textbooks and work independently, it helps me to keep track of where they should be and not gripe at them for not completing a lesson only to realize that it was because they did a test that day. {ahem}

Use Frixion pens. Frixion pens are erasable pens, and they are an absolute lifesaver. You can get them as an add-on when you order your planner. You can use different colors to color code things such as appointments or assignments for each child.

And you can erase when things don’t go as planned. You can even erase lots of times without messing up your planner pages. Ask me how I know.

I absolutely love the Plan in Place planners! They make my school day so much easier and provide a keepsake that I know I’m going to enjoy looking back on some day. Plus, now that my kids are in high school, they’re my backup, so I don’t forget to put something on their transcripts.

If you’d like to order a planner from A Plan in Place, you can save 20% with coupon code WUHS2017 now through June 11, 2017. Plus, A Plan in Place is currently running a special where you can get a free download of their summer planner/journal when you purchase a student or high school planner (good through May 31, 2017). These offers can be combined for greater savings!

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to homeschool planning?

6 Reasons You Need a Built-in Catch-Up Day (and how to plan one!)

By Kris Bales

I used to hear people talk about a four-day school week. It sounded like a fabulous idea, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around how it would work – until we used Trail Guide to Learning.

Now, more than 5 years later, we’re still reaping the benefits of a built-in catch-up day even though my kids have outgrown the Trail Guide series.

6 Reasons You Need a Built-in Catch-Up Day (and how to plan one!)

Planning optional activities for review and further exploration is one of the most important things I learned about catch-up days from Trail Guide to Learning. Those optional enrichment activities mean that productive learning happens whether you need the make-up day or not.

Why You Need a Built-In Catch-Up Day

I discovered multiple benefits to scheduling a built-in catch-up day.

1. Less stress. When you know that you’ve already factored in time to catch up, it relieves the stress when plans to awry. Did you have a sick kid? What about an unexpected mid-week errand or a doctor’s appointment?

Maybe you got involved in a fun project and spent more time on it than you planned. Or your kids wandered off on some rabbit trails following an engaging topic. It makes the week so much less stressful knowing that you have some wiggle room in your schedule. You can reschedule whatever you don’t get to for the next day or push it back to your catch-up day.

You do what you can, and the rest can wait when you’ve left some white space in your homeschool planner.

2. Less guilt. I used to be guilty of skipping the fun stuff, like hands-on projects or art, to make up time when we got behind. I let the pressure of keeping up with the “core” work take precedence when pressed for time.

With a built-in catch-up/review day, I don’t have to do that. We either save the fun, hands-on stuff for our lighter day or shift some of the core work, knowing that we have the time factored in to make it up.

On the flip side, staying caught up means we can do enrichment activities on Friday. It doesn’t have to be a throw-off day where nothing productive happens.

3. More review. Use Friday (or whatever day is your light day) for review. When we did Trail Guide, the fifth day usually included some fun review, such as games, crossword puzzles, or word searches. Having a study day can help kids retain more by recapping the highlights while the lessons are still fresh in their minds.

4. More exploration. You can also use a caught-up catch-up day to dig deeper into what you’re studying. Expand your topic knowledge by exploring people, places, and events related to your current studies.

For example, if you’re studying the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, read related biographies of people not covered in your main text. Or read related fictional books.

You might also try a weekly activity such as 50 State Fridays or use the time for art, music, nature study, or field trips.

5. More sanity. It’s a much calmer feeling moving into the end of the week when you have catch-up time built-in. When all the kids were still homeschooling, there was such a sense of cooperation on Fridays. They knew that they still have work to complete, but it would be a lighter, more relaxed day.

Now that the younger two are in high school, we still enjoy that sense of calm on Fridays. Even when they do have work to catch up and the day may not be as light as they’d like, it’s not stressful. Calmer, cooperative, relaxed kids mean a calmer, more relaxed mom.

6. Time for extracurricular activities. You know all those things that you plan to do, but don’t always have time for? You know what I’m talking about – the fun stuff that you never quite get to because you’re so busy doing all the stuff you feel you have to do. Or maybe that’s just me.

With a built-in catch-up day, there is time for all those things that are part of a well-rounded education without the stress of trying to squeeze them in. We’re currently enjoying a small co-op with friends.

In the past, Fridays have included events like drum lessons, book clubs, and sewing classes. Those idyllic homeschool days from my daydreams happen much more frequently with a built-in catch-up/review day.

6 Reasons You Need a Built-in Catch-Up Day (and how to plan one!)

How to Plan a Built-In Catch-Up Day

I’m sure I could have planned a built-in catch-up day before Trail Guide to Learning. However, I wasn’t sure how it would work until I saw it in action. If you’re not using Trail Guide to Learning or another curriculum with ready-made lesson plans, try these tips to plan a catch-up day.

1. Do some review. Plan some low-key review games and activities. We’ve enjoyed a Jeopardy-style review with topic-related questions. We’ve also drawn a football field on our dry erase board. Players move the ball by answering questions correctly. You can even make your own crossword or word search puzzles.

2. Dig into related studies. A built-in catch-up day is a fantastic opportunity to do something related to your study, such as:

  • Read a biography of a secondary figure in your history studies
  • Read the historical fiction book that was your second choice
  • Listen to music from the era
  • Study a composer
  • Do a related art project
  • Cook a meal related to your topic
  • Go on a field trip

3. Make time for extracurricular activities. Schedule in some time for those things that you envision when you think of a perfect homeschool day.

  • Do some nature study
  • Teach your kids how to sew (or learn together!)
  • Cook a meal with together
  • Take music lessons
  • Meet some friends for a park day (Socialization 101)
  • Teach your kids (or learn together) a handicraft, such as needlepoint, cross-stitch, knitting, or crochet
  • Complete an art project.
  • Do an artist or composer study
  • Write poetry
  • Start a Bible study together
  • Try 50 State Fridays
  • Learn about a different country

4. Don’t forget two keys factors. 

  • Plan fun, meaningful activities that you would like to do but often don’t have time to do.
  • Make the activities the kind that won’t cause stress if they don’t get done. That way you have stress-free time to catch up when needed and fun activities to look forward to otherwise.

Do you schedule a built-in catch-up day? If so, what does it look like at your house?

updated from an article originally published February 7, 2012

This post is linked to the Hip Homeschool Hop.

SMART Goal Setting with Kids

By Tara Mitchell

Written by Tara Mitchell of This Sweet Life and Embark on the Journey.

With January just around the corner, many of us are looking ahead and setting goals for the new year. I spent a little time myself over Thanksgiving weekend setting goals for my business, my family, and myself.

One goal I have for the new year is to teach my daughter how to set goals for herself. It’s one thing to say, “I want to accomplish…” It’s another thing to actually figure out how to get from point A to point B.

Kids who set goals are more likely to focus on what they want. They learn to plan for the results they hope to see. As they reach their goals, they gain confidence in the fact that they can do the hard things.

smart-goal-setting-with-kids

My daughter is 13, but this could work with children a bit younger and a bit older. Younger kids may need a little more assistance and accountability. Older teens may need a little guidance at first, but can then apply the practice to any future goals they may have.

Two years ago, I sat my two younger kids (16 and 11) down to talk about some goals they had. First, we talked about why we set goals. Setting goals helps motivate us to achieve the things we’re working toward.

I explained to them what a SMART goal is. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. Looking at a goal through these parameters can be the difference between achieving the goal or not.

Specific goals are easier to work toward than general goals are. In order to formulate a plan to work toward a goal, it needs to be well-defined. Your daughter may want to get her splits before her next gymnastics showcase. Your son may want to score a run in a baseball game this season. A child may want to complete a certain number of scouting activities to earn a badge. Or, they may want to read a certain number of books to earn a prize in the summer reading program.

How can you measure a goal? For a goal to be measurable, it needs to be quantified. “Read a lot” isn’t measurable. What qualifies as “a lot”? “Read two books per month,” however, is measurable. Kids can create a chart to check off so they can monitor their own progress.

Attainable goals are ones that are challenging but achievable. They are goals that a child can actually accomplish. If the goal is too big, there may not be enough motivation to tackle it. Parents may need to help kids break down a larger goal into bite-sized, attainable action steps.

If a goal isn’t relevant, kids won’t be inspired to work toward it. Where does a specific goal fit in the overall picture? Are they working toward a goal that is part of a bigger plan? Or is it a random goal that doesn’t really fit anywhere in their daily life?

Goals should be timely. When do your kids want to have met their goal? If there is no deadline, it’s far too easy to keep putting it off. Then, they’ll get to the end of scouting season without the badge they’d hoped for or the end of the summer without that prize they had their eye on. Be sure to set a deadline that is far enough away to allow time to work toward the goal but not far enough away that it’s not a priority.

smart-goal-setting-with-kids-pin

To help you help your kids set SMART goals, check out the SMART goals planning worksheets I have created. They’re a great starting spot if goal-setting is new or something you struggle with, as well.

My hope is that my helping my daughter (now 13) learn to do this, she’ll have a better grasp on setting deadlines and working toward her goals when she’s in high school, college, and beyond. Goodness knows, I struggle with goal-setting myself, and I’m hoping to forge a new path with my kiddos.

What are some of your family’s goals for the upcoming year or second school semester?