Find the Best Homeschool Lesson Planner and Get Your Homeschool Organized Once and For All
Whether you're a newcomer or a veteran homeschooler, planning and organizing your homeschool curriculum and program for the year can certainly be a challenge. Our favorite way to organize lesson plans is with the The Full-Year Notebook System, a resource designed by experienced homeschool mom, Julie Anderson.Â
Read on. You'll learn more about Julie, how she came up with her practical solution to organizing her own children's curriculum, why The Full-Year Notebook System works, and how it can work for you.Â
We'll also share with you other options for planners and planning as well as more terrific resources to help make your homeschooling experience a great one, even a fun one, for both you, the parent-teacher, and your students, your own special children.
The Full-Year Notebook System
by Julie Anderson
Are you spending way too much time on lesson plans? Are you only one step ahead of your children's schoolwork? Do you ever feel like you are teetering on the edge of a home school disaster? I felt like I was constantly behind and was never going to catch up.I had unexpectedly became a single mom and the sole provider for my family. I knew that one of my highest priorities was to continue homeschooling but I was not sure this would be possible while working a full-time job. I was determined to try to find a solution. And I did.
I created notebooks for my children which contained all of their schoolwork for the entire year. I had a reference page which held the important weekly information so we could each quickly see what work was to be completed that week. Everything was self-contained. It even included library and living books that had no curriculum or instructions with it. I had figured out a way to include any resources of any type and a way to work with any home school model such as classical education, unit studies, unschooling, etc. Best of all, my children could get started with their schoolwork without needing me to tell them what to do!
Friends of mine asked me to create a class which would teach them how to make notebooks for their children. In putting together that class, I was able to produce a set of materials which anyone could use to create notebooks for their own children. This is a simple program which includes step-by-step instructions and worksheets for both analyzing your time and resources as well as worksheets to include in your children's notebooks for subjects that don't fit well into "regular" school such as field trips, music lessons, service opportunities and more.
One of its best features is that it doesn't take a semester to learn; in fact, you could download it today and be implementing it tonight. If last semester didn't go as well as you would have liked, then get started right away with The Full-Year Notebook System.
For a more detailed look at The Full-Year Notebook System, click here.
P.S. Julie is having a sale! Get 25% off the regular price of The Full-Year Notebook System when you visit today!
How to Create a Homeschool Transcript
The last, and most important, step in recordkeeping.
Fearing the high school transcript stage? I did, too. We got ours done, but I wish I had had access back then to the ebook my friend, Lee Binz, has recently published.
Lee is a homeschool consultant, owner of The HomeScholar and mom of two homeschooled sons. She learned how to convert four years of independent homeschooling into transcripts that earned both of her sons full-tuition scholarships at their first choice university! After many, many "How did you make such a great transcript?" questions, Lee has put this valuable information into a very reasonably priced ebook, available now.
I know Lee and can promise that she does top-notch, high-quality work. If you need to make a high school transcript for your homeschooled children, and you will, I would urge you to check out her book. Don't put it off; time flies so fast when you're homeschooling and you'll need this information before you know it.
Check out The Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts today!
Shop and Compare - More Homeschool Lesson Planners
Find a planner, organizer, or calendar that fits your style.
The Scholastic Teacher Plan Book Updated
teacher-created, deluxe planner with larger planning pages, sturdy storage pockets, and helpful resource pages, including a multi-year calendar, reproducible forms, student planning pages, national standards, Bloom's Taxonomy, and much more!
Amazon Price: $9.22 (as of 11/14/2009) 
Lesson Plan and Record Book
his one book has it all--weekly lesson plan pages and class record sheets that cover 7 different subjects for two 20-week semesters. The class record section is set up so that a student's record for an entire quarter of 10 weeks can be read on facing pages. Plus helpful ideas and handy reference materials.
Amazon Price: $7.90 (as of 11/14/2009)
The Homeschooler's Plan Book Plus!: Planning and Record-Keeping Pages Plus Hundreds of Great Ideas for Classroom Management, Brain-Stretchers, Student
Amazon Price: $11.69 (as of 11/14/2009)
Homeschool Teacher's Plan Book
Designed specifically for homeschool teachers! This daily plan book offers the space and flexibility you need for efficient homeschool planning and record-keeping. Includes a year-at-a-glance calendar and a flexible 41-week calendar featuring inspirational scriptures and prayers, and an easy-to-follow curriculum guideline for grades K-5. Perfect for homeschooling up to 6 children. 104 pages.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/14/2009)
The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: The Last Planner You Will Ever Need
I had actually taken this planner off my list because currently the only copies available are used and high priced. However, I decided to add it back because I know that people who have visited this page have purchased it in the recent past, and because it does contain over 200 pages of forms that you would spend hours trying to locate on your own. Read the reviews, both bad and good, and decide if this is the right planner for you. It may not be, but if you're looking for an excellent resource all in one place, it might be exactly what you need.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/14/2009)
Keeping Your Family Organized
The Best 2010 Calendars for Moms and Families
Amy Knapp's Christian Family Organizer 2010 Eng Calendar
Now the best selling Family Organizers helps keep you focused while managing your busy household. Read the customer reviews on this one.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/14/2009)
Mom's Family Calendar 2010
A perennial bestseller, and my personal favorite, a calendar that looks great and is indispensable for families on the go. Mom's starts in September and runs 16 full months. Spreads feature an oversized, vertical grid with five columns across (one for each family member) and the days of the month running down the left side. With just a glance, Mom and Dad can see who is doing what, and when. Includes a new drop-down storage pocket, plus 500 stickers and a write-on, wipe-off magnetic phone list for the fridge.
Amazon Price: $10.39 (as of 11/14/2009)
Best Calendars for Busy Moms
Check out this selection of great calendars and organizers, especially for moms with busy families.
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Best Calendars for Busy Moms
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Attention! Mom needs a calendar! They say all moms are working moms, and working moms are certainly busy moms. Families with children need every bit of help they can find to get and stay organized. We're here to help with the best ca...
The How, What, and Why of Homeschooling
Homeschooling resources and advice for homeschoolers, new and seasoned.
You know you want to teach your kids at home, but what should your focus be and what curriculum should you use? While it's a bit beyond the scope of this page to discuss how to choose a homeschool curriculum, or even why to homeschool, there are a number of very excellent resources that address those topics and do it much better than I could do it here.
I've chosen a few classic homeschool information books to highlight here, but there are new books on the market now that I haven't read since our youngest graduated over six years ago. One of the best ways to choose a book is to read the customer reviews. Click here to find the current bestselling homeschooling how-to and advice books.
Already have a favorite homeschooling resources book? Feel free to share it in a comment in our guestbook near the bottom of the page.
Books from my Favorite Homeschool Author
Ruth Beechick is my all-time favorite homeschool author.
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8
This was my go-to book, the book I turned to when I was discouraged or just didn't know if I was "covering enough." Ever ask yourself that question? Then you need this book. I literally wore out my copy, but I'll be keeping it forever as a reminder of the success of our homsechooling experience.
Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 11/14/2009)
Strong Start in Language: Grades K-3 (Three R's Ser.)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/14/2009)
Heart and Mind: What the Bible Says about Learning
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 11/14/2009)
The Three R's
Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 11/14/2009)
A Biblical Home Education: Building Your Homeschool on the Foundation of God's Word
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 11/14/2009)
Do You Teach Imagination?
Kids come pre-packaged with imaginations intact. Help them use it so they don't lose it!
Help build character in your children by encouraging imaginary play. This lens will give you some great ideas about how to do that.-
Nurturing Imagination
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When my boys turned 7 and 4, a dear friend gave them each one of the best gifts they’ve ever received. They were capes, homemade capes made from a silky king-sized bed sheet she had picked up at a yard sale. Perfect props to help them us...
The Teacher's Calendar
Like unit studies? Love to celebrate?
Here's some of what was included in the 2007-2008 edition:
September 15, Independence Day for five Central American countries--Create their flags and talk about their distinctive cultures.
January 24, 100th anniversary of the first Boy Scout troop--Explain how the ideals behind the Scout's Pledge can be used in everyday life.
February 16, 40th anniversary of the first 911 call--Make "Call 911" magnets to place by the phone.
April 30, Día de los niños, de los libros (Children's Day, Book Day)--Share a folk tale in both English and another language.
June 25, Eric Carle's birthday--Visit eric-carle.com to learn the creative processes of the master children's books illustrator.
These are just a few of the days that will inspire endless ideas for your K-8 classroom. Inside you will find hundreds of new entries, as well as 5,000 holidays and events, astronomical data, 50 Curriculum Connections and more.
The Teacher's Calendar School Year 2009-2010: The Day-by-Day Almanac of Historic Events, Holidays, Famous Birthdays and More!
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 11/14/2009)
For nine years, K-8 teachers, librarians, and other educators have turned to The Teacher's Calendar to capture the attention of their students. The Teacher's Calendar offers innovative classroom ideas for every day of the year, from August 1 to July 31. Each page is packed with suggestions for class activities, bulletin boards, and school calendars. Fifty sidebars highlight specific dates and provide curriculum ideas, lists of appropriate books, and related websites.
Written by the in-house staff of Chase's Calendar of Events as well as with the contributions of writers specializing in child education.
Planning for Facts, Dates, Names, Places and More
Need information fast? Check out this great resource.
Did you ever need a quick list of names or dates and wish you had that information available quickly, in one place, easy to grab, right at your fingertips? You're not the only one, and one homeschool mom has put it all together to benefit us all.The Homeschooler's Book of Lists
by Sonya Haskins is an indispensible reference tool that every homeschool mom, teacher, or parent needs. Topics include history and government, math, religion, science, geography, great people, quotations and speeches, the arts and much more. The book contains over 250 lists including important dates in history, famous scientists, major inventions, mathematical formulas, word origins, linguistic terms, biblical timeline, and many more.Two chapters are specifically devoted to help you as a home educator better plan and organize your thinking, schoolwork, and resources. For this, there are lists on homeschool methods, reading lists for various age groups, and checklists you can use to keep track of books you have to make it easier when you go to used curriculum sales.
Using the CD that's included, you can copy lists for your own home use, family use, or even for classes you might teach in a co-op setting. It doesn't get any easier than this!
Read more about The Homeschooler's Book of Lists
and see for youself how this terrific reference book can benefit you and your children or students. (You don't have to be a homeschooler to use it!) Planning for Home Economics
Living On a Dime
These days, everyone needs to learn about frugal living. From eating better and spending less, to grocery shopping on a budget, to getting and staying out of debt, these are skills that everyone should use and that your future homemakers should be taught.The "Living On a Dime" series of e-books covers these topics and more, including how to keep a home clean and organized, saving with kids, and even how to stay well. Each series of books is reasonably priced and would be a great addition to a home economics curriculum for your older children.
About the authors: Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are a mother daughter team who learned to live in difficult financial circumstances at a time in life when money was always in short supply. Living in a situation where they had to choose between one necessity and another really helped them gain a new perspective about the value of things. It also helped them make distinctions between needs and desires.
Their goal is to educate people about better ways to handle money in the hope that the people they touch can live more fulfilled and less stressful lives. Their story is not just for people who live on very small incomes. Instead, they hope that sharing their story of money scarcity and how they dealt with it will help people more wisely manage their resources and become financially strong.
Click here to learn more about Living on a Dime.
Planning for P.E.
Get Fit and Have Fun with Homeschool Physical Education - the Chicken Fat Way!
What workout is quick and fun for the whole family, requires no equipment (though if you don't have carpet you might want an exercise mat
You'll find a selection of "Go You Chicken Fat, Go!" recordings below (they come with instructions), plus a selection of exercise mats if you need one, then scroll on down to watch YouTube videos of different groups of people use the workout.
We love this workout at our house and I'm guessing your kids will enjoy it, too!.
Chicken Fat - Audio CD
These familiar words set the stage for great music more...0 points
Chicken Fat-Youth Fitness Video - VHS
Exciting, 25-minute exercise-fun video geared to c more...0 points
Chicken Fat: The Youth Fitness - DVD
Exciting exercise-fun video geared to children 3 t more...0 points
Kids Mats - 24" x 60"
These mats are a 6 mm thick that gives ample paddi more...0 points
Drishti Extra Thick Yoga Mat
Same high quality as the Drishti Standard Mat, but more...0 points
Weider Exercise Mat
Weider has been a trusted name in strength trainin more...0 points
Valeo Foam Exercise Mat
Foam Exercise Mat by Valeo. 2'Width x 6'Length. Tw more...0 points
Go, You Chicken Fat, Go Away!
Have you resolved to get fit? To keep your kids fit?
Planning for Math?
When you're making your math lesson plans, include this great resource.
Got math? Then you need math worksheets. Where to get them? Why, from The Math Worksheet Site, of course!The Math Worksheet Site is not a collection of worksheets. It is a web site that creates the worksheets you want when you want them according to the criteria you specify. This way you can add the practice that your student needs to a curriculum you already like, or you can be freed from the constraints of a workbook or textbook that gives either too much or too little practice if you'd rather direct the studies yourself.
The worksheets are generated on-the-fly on the server. Each worksheet that is created will have a new arrangement of problems, or new problems altogether, depending on the type of worksheet. This ensures that students learn the concept, not simply memorize the order of the answers on the page.
From counting to quadratic equations, The Math Worksheet Site has the worksheets you need, so why not take a look?
Magazines for Homeschooling Families
When we were homeschooling I always looked forward to receiving the latest edition of my favorite homeschooling magazine. I always found something to motivate and inspire me, usually just when I needed it the most. Don't subscribe yet? Choose one and try it. You'll be glad you did.
More Homeschool Lesson Plan Sites
Need fresh ideas? Here are some resources for you to check out.
- Fun Lesson Plans dot com
- Preschool lesson plans with preschool themes for daycare, kindergarten, homeschool, or home activities.
- School Express
- Free e-newsletter with one downloadable unit study each month, worksheets, activities, and lots more.
- Lesson Planners from Donna Young
- A selection of homeschool lesson planning printables in PDF format plus lots more printables and resources from Donna Young.org.
- EdHelper.com
- Lots of activities and themes for just about any subject and every grade.
- Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
- An online directory of lesson plans for K-12 teachers.
- Amanda Bennett Unit Studies
- Amanda Bennett has been creating unit studies for years. You can find all of them here.
Homeschoolers are Blogging about Their Lesson Plans
It's always good to be able to learn from others. Here are up-to-the-minute blog posts from others who are writing about their homeschool lesson plans.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPlay to Learn - Help Keep Homeschooling Fun!
Shhh! Don't tell them they're learning!
Traditional textbooks and workbooks are an important part of your child's education, but play time is important, too. Just don't tell the kids they're learning while they're enjoying these educational magazines, puzzles, and toys!
Zoobooks - The #1 Kids Magazine about Animals!
Kids love animals, and they love Zoobooks magazine more...1 point
Stuff Kids Like
Melissa and Doug, Educational Insights, Kettler ca more...1 point
Digital Weather Station
Record and predict weather patterns with this digi more...1 point
Highlights for Children Magazine - Save $20 off the single-issue price!
They don't call it Fun With a Purpose for nothing! more...0 points
Get a free Moonjar (R) Savings Kit with a High Five Magazine Subscription at Highlights.com!
Now there's a Highlights magazine for preschoolers more...0 points
PuzzlesUSA.com
Jigsaw puzzles for all ages! From 12 to 24,000 pie more...0 points
Board Games USA
Find your favorite classic board games as well as more...0 points
Which Way USA Club
Discover America the fun way with coast-to-coast p more...0 points
The Question All Homeschoolers Know and Love
(You fill in the blank.) "But what about _________?"
Homeschool T-Shirts for Everyone in The Family
All of these t-shirt designs are the creation of a very creative homeschooling family.
Civilized/I Baseball Jersey
Price: 20.19
We Don't Homeschool Hooded Sweatshirt
Price: 39.69
Happy in TX Women's Cap Sleeve T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Probably Homeschooled Jr. Ringer T-Shirt
Price: 20.19
Peace Love Fitted T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Reader Feedback
Homeschooler or not, we'd love to read your comments.
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Reply
- athaschoolforboys athaschoolforboys Oct 16, 2009 @ 9:30 am
- GREAt!
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Reply
- Maraiya Maraiya Jul 7, 2009 @ 11:59 am
- Wow, what an awesome, helpful lens for those who want to homeschool. I'm not a parent, but I am very concerned about the problems of parents and kids nowadays and I read up on it. I participate in several Q&A web sites helping people with their problems and questions, and so next time I hear a question about homeschooling, I'll definitely refer them to your lens!
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Reply
- anaturalphenomenon anaturalphenomenon Jul 4, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
- Such a great resource! Thank you so much!
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Reply
- Homeschool_Helper Homeschool_Helper Apr 14, 2009 @ 12:15 am
- This is a great site! Lots of awesome stuff in here! Thanks for sharing it!
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Reply
- businessblossom businessblossom Jan 28, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
- I am a homeschooler who plans to homeschool . . . and the book selections you have here suggest that you are a woman of the same commitment, and for the same reasons, as my own mother. You are SO favorited, five-starred, and lensrolled -- also, there's a comprehensive curriculum you might want to check out for inclusion on this excellent site. I don't know if the Fellowship Academy of Christian Education is online yet -- they come out of Brevard, NC, and I've never been able to find a website. But they have a wonderful, comprehensive curriculum for K-12 -- I can personally vouch for them. You might want to give them a call (that is available online) and check them out.
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Meet the Author
Susan52, Retired Homeschool Mom
Lensmaster Susan52, aka Susan D, has been a member since April 15 2007, has rated 3,101 lenses, favorited 631, and has created 164 lenses from scratch. Susan D donates their royalties to Soldiers Angels. This member's top-ranked page is "Cancer Warrior". See all my lenses
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