The next divider should be labeled 'homeschool.' If your children are grown, you don't have any, or don't home school, then you may still find this section interesting to read about, but take this time to set this section up as something else; whatever you need.
I am going to show you a simple way to keep a homeschool plan. Some states require you to keep strict records, in which case, you may want to keep those in a separate notebook or in a folder. In the homeschool section in your planner, we are going to focus on who is doing what, when, for the home school.
If you feel like a slave to daily lesson planning, then you may want try this alternate option, as described in this article, in setting up the homeschool section...
The Curriculum Chart
The first page should be your curriculum chart for the academic year. You can draw a table, and write in it to fill it in, or you can design something on your computer, and print it out on half sheets of paper, punch the paper, and put it into your planner. Do which ever you prefer.
A homeschool curriculum chart shows what subjects you are teaching for the year, along with what you are using, etc. Putting together a new curriculum chart each year can be the crux of homeschool planning.
1) Make a list of all the subjects you (and possibly your husband) will be teaching for the home school year. If you teach via the Trivium (we use an altered version of the Trivium), then your subjects may be the following:
Homeschool Subjects
Bible
Math
Grammar, Writing, Spelling
Copy Work
Cursive and Penmanship
History, Geography
Science
Latin
Logic
Reading
Music and Art
Family Read Aloud
Government, Automotive Mechanics, Computers, Electronics, etc.
P.E.
2) List the subjects in the first column in your curriculum chart.
3) Next to the subject, type/write down the grade level of each child, and what books and materials they will be using for that year.
4) If you have multiple children to home school, then you may combine some grade levels. For example, you may choose to use one history book for all of the children, and teach all of your children at the same time from that, giving only one history lesson.
5) Take a look at the books you will be using for the year, and determine how many pages/lessons will need to be done from each book per week or day, in order to finish the book during your home schooling year.
6) In a third column, next to the subject (first column) and the books/materials (second column), write down how many pages or lessons will need to be completed from each subject's book, per day or week.
7) Now you have the whole school year planned, and it's all on an easy to view chart. Each afternoon or evening, when you are grading that day's school work, simply circle the pages/lessons that need to be done by the child the next day. Also, take this time to skim over any reading material they will be going over, etc.
Mom's Quick Reference Page
Obviously, there will be some preparation that will need to be done each day, before the next day's school. You will need to skim over the next day's lessons, and circle the pages/lessons each child is supposed to do.
NOTE: I have a little set of shelves for my children, in our home schooling area. Each child knows which shelf is for them. Each afternoon, when I am setting up for the next day's school, after I've looked over the up and coming lessons and circled pages/lessons, I place the next day's books and pages into their shelf. The next morning, the child grabs their work from their shelf, and each work book or paper is returned to the shelf when they are done, and stays there, until it's time for me to grade, later that day.
The next page, after your homeschool curriculum chart, should be a quick reference page for you. This is just a list of which subjects you are teaching on which day, so that you know which lessons to skim through, and which you don't have to, yet, etc. Also use this page to put on any other prep notes you may find handy.
Copy Work and Reading Lists
Copy work is simply as it sounds: stuff you have your children copy onto paper or into notebooks, that they copy off of the white/chalk board, or from a book/piece of paper. If you teach via the Trivium, or similar method, then your children will be doing copy work anywhere from twice a week, to every school day.
This is where you have them copy stuff down that you want them to memorize/internalize. The next page in your planner should therefore be a copy work list. Make a long list of any Scriptures you would like your children to copy into their notebooks, along with other things, such as perhaps your address, your and your husband's cell phone numbers, spelling lists and specific vocabulary words, etc.
I have stuff from all subjects in our copy work list, in addition to plenty of scriptures. Consider using something like a Post-It arrow to mark your place on the list. If the list is completed before the school year is over, then start over, and go through the list again.
The next page should be your children's reading lists. Include books you want them to read, books that have to do with the subjects and specific topics being taught, and some fun classic fiction, such as Treasure Island, Robinson Caruso, etc.
I always try to make my children's reading lists longer than I think they can finish for the year. There have been a few times when they've surprised me and finished the list before the year was up, though. If this happens, just quickly think up a few more books to put on the list.
Generally, though, I make the lists long enough that they are rarely finished during the school year. Then, the books not yet read are moved to the top of the reading list for the next school year.
For the rest of the homeschool section, just have some blank or lined filler paper in there, for when/if you need to take down notes, or track things.