THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT PLANNER AND GRADEBOOK

It’s been a while since I’ve chatted about homeschooling tools, what I use and why.  There was a reason for that; I have had an ongoing dilemma!   I needed to have grades and lessons kept in an easy to use and super organized manner; thus starting the quest for the perfect grade book and planner.  I am super picky when it comes to my lesson planners and grade books for homeschooling.  When I was in the private school in Kindergarten and then in 4^th and 5^th, finding a planner and grade book was easy, I just grabbed what was in the supply room.   Then life changed and we decided to homeschool our kiddos.  I needed a planner and a grade book that would work well for more than one kiddo in different grades and study courses.  So the quest for the perfect planner began, and it’s been going on for almost four years!

I am not overly detailed when it comes to my lesson plans, BUT, I don’t like to skimp on information written as well.  I purpose to plan at least a month at a time for lesson ideas and plan about three months at a time for unit and theme ideas.  I wanted a planner that would allow me to have all four of the school aged kiddos in one location, give me room to write little notes, and have the ability to be flexible with the way I write me lessons up.  I wanted a grade book that would allow me to keep grades for each child in an easy way with room to write the assignments out maintain GPA status for Maggie.  My wants seem like a lot, but I have five kiddos, four in school or school like activities, and one in high school; so my wants weren’t all that farfetched.  I tried making my lesson plans on the computer, but I always felt locked in and unable to change them.  Then, I found my planner for this year, and I LOVE IT!

The planner that I am using was made by Debra Bell and is appropriately titled the Ultimate Homeschool Planner.  I love everything about it. I love that I have the ability to be flexible and adapt it to my planning style.  Each planning page has six sections, perfect for my four kiddos, unit study ideas, and Bible themes.  There are pages to record goals, prayer requests, accomplishments, appointments, and reminders about life.  The front of the book has the calendar section that you can fill out to adapt to your school schedule.  For my family, this is the perfect planner and the one that I have enjoyed using the most!

Yellow isn't my favorite color, but I do love this planner!

There are pockets in the front and back to help me keep schedules and papers organized.

The calendar portion. Here is the month of October started with unit study information.  I use this section for attendance too.

My lesson plans.  I label the top with kiddos names.  With this planner, I have a spot for each kiddo in school, Bible, and combined activities. 

On the right side I have a sot for each day of the week and an extra square for notes or other information.

Finding the perfect grade book has been much more of a challenge.  And by challenge, I mean it’s been something that I haven’t been able to find.  So, I made my own.  First stop was Pinterest, the blessing and the curse of homeschooling mama’s everywhere.  Searching I found the template that I liked for my cover and the grade book pages that I tweaked for each kiddo.  The end result was a grade book that isn’t perfect, but fit my needs better than anyone I could find.  I was even able to make mini covers for the kiddos grades that I need to hold onto for the next few years for portfolios and, dare I say it <GASP>, college transcripts!

I do like the pretty cover.

In the front of my grade book I keep an EZ Grader and a GPA calculator.

 Three tabs for three kiddos grades.

Each kiddo has a smaller version of the grade book cover for their records for the year.  I keep all grades in a file folder with the year glued on the front.

My grade book page template, nice and clean and ready to be filled in.

All in all, I am pleased with my tools for this year.  I am pleased with how much easier it is to access things, plan things, and when needed erase lessons and correct mistakes.  More than that, the stress of planning and record keeping isn’t what it was, and that has made my homeschooling adventures a lot easier so I can focus on more important things, like the joy that is found in our adventures and learning together!