DIY Homeschool Notebook Planner

As you probably have read in my most recent article on The Fear and The Faith of a Call to Homeschool, as mentioned, I would try my best to keep you up to date on what we are learning and how we are doing our homeschool.

I am a planner. I try to plan my week ahead of time if I can. It helps me to stay on track and not get sidetracked of what needs to get done. Now mind you, I was never this way. I would never plan my days. Back track a few years the Lord prompted my heart to begin to plan out my days as it will help me keep up with my house and appointments etc. So I began to do so. Now, I am forever thankful for that time to learn because it truly does help my mind to not feel like a spiderweb.

For homeschool I knew i was going to need a planner, but what kind? Goodness there was so much out there. Some way overpriced and some, well it just didn’t have everything I was looking for. Some were too much and some, not enough. So I figured, “why not just create your own.”

So here I am. Sharing with you right now how I did mine.

My journal is from TJMaxx. So it was very affordable with plenty of writing space, and it’s a spiral notebook.

I knew I was going to homeschool for the long run, but just in case, me personally, I just couldn’t justify to spend an amount on a planner that I knew I would not be happy with. So my best advice, and what helped me, is to jot down or write what you are looking for and wanting in a planner.

Are you wanting an area to meal plan?
Are you wanting it just homeschool only?
Are you wanting to have appointments in also?
What in this planner are you wanting?

I did not want to have so many planners for my personal use and for homeschool. It would be too much for me. So I just used my notebook and connected it to one. Now it isn’t perfect at this is my first time doing this. BUT, hey, it helps and that’s all that matters for me!

The first page I just roughly put what will be in this notebook so I can have an “outlook” of what it may entail inside the pages.

I added attendance as I have a kindergartner, first grader, fifth and ninth grader. I knew I needed to keep up with the days we will be present and days I plan for us to have off. Our schedule will not look like the public school days but it’s always nice to know, or try and plan vacations or days we will not do school. As my ninth grader is going to be getting ready for college, if this is where the Lord leads her, I wanted to be sure to have a section for her grades as well. Again, it will not look like other homeschoolers or even public school, but there are some papers she wants me to grade to be sure she got it down.

I also added a section for trips we take to count towards school, and my own section for my house chores, meal plans, appointments, etc.

As I researched and went store to store to try and find the right homeschool planner, I began to see some of their outlines and started to try and plan it out in my head for my notebook. I looked online and began to see what was truly needed to keep for homeschool and what isn’t. I highly suggest looking into your state and what they require. Here in Texas they don’t require much to be on record, only if they go back to school or even towards college.

I also made a whole month calendar and began to take note on something things and then on the next page, that is where I sketched out the whole week. Again, it is not perfect! I do what works for me ha!

I made space per child to jot down the subjects I will be helping teach on but also writing which lesson it is. It helps me to keep track on what they are learning and doing. I never plan the month ahead as things change. We recently found that out. I also learned to never write in pen, be sure to write in pencil so it can be erased and moved if needed.

Each day we take it one day at a time. Like the other day, I wrote 4 subjects and one of our kiddos needed extra help with math so we had to eliminate one of the subjects just to not overwhelm her. I would much rather stick to that subject til they get it down that rush to the next and it never be understood.

I know other homeschool moms may do this differently. And that is ok. That is the beauty and such an art and treasure on homeschooling. Each family does it different and what works best for the kids and families. All this to say, if you feel it on your heart and deeply led by the Lord to homeschool, and you are afraid… I was too I wrote about it here. So were my kiddos. And I told them, “hey, I’m afraid too. But that’s okay because God is leading us through it.” You can even read that article I wrote on to help bring you encouragement. I also recommend the book, Homeschool Bravely. Get connected with friends who will encourage you in the Lord. Who will root you on and spur you on. We need those friends. Most importantly, we need the Lords leading. If He has called you to it, you can surely do it. With Him of course.

I hope this short article on how I created my “notebook planner” has helped you! And know, there is no perfect way to do it! Just find what works for you and your pocket (budget). It does not need to be expensive. It can be done friend!