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Becky Parker
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| Posted: March 02 2010 at 9:45am | IP Logged
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The thread about the Good News Planner brings up a question for me. Has anyone filled out the planner for the year ahead of time? I ask because I was originally thinking of purchasing the MODG planner for my dd since we use the MODG curriculum. I just wasn't sure how it would work if everything was filled in for the whole year. I'm not worried about doing the work ahead of time. I would rather spend the time to fill it in before school starts and just be done with it ... but ...
what if I want to change gears for a while?
what if we get behind in a subject?
what if we get ahead?
I'm just curious to know what others do.
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ekbell
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| Posted: March 02 2010 at 4:12pm | IP Logged
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What I've found works best is to
- add liturgical year material to the regular planner with dates.
-for other subjects I write up weekly plans (ie week 22 we do x) with check boxes but no dates. That way I have something to follow but I don't have to worry if we end up taking an unscheduled week off (and I can easily check off the boxes if we go ahead or leave them unchecked if we fall behind). It's best to leave room for notes if the plans are changed.
(the Catholic Woman's Daily Planner with lesson plans works well as it has both the weekly calendar pages where I note down liturgical year plans (plus appts and the like) and a undated lesson plan section at the back.
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TxTrish
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| Posted: March 02 2010 at 5:39pm | IP Logged
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I have filled out my lesson planner for the year before, twice.
It worked pretty well, but I had only 2 students old enough for school at the time and I was using Seton.
Both times I did this, I was expecting a baby - so, while it was nice to have it "done", it failed to take into account all those things that happen in life -
illnesses, crazy work schedules,
getting behind, getting ahead,
vearing off course for a sudden intense interest.........
So, I always felt like I "failed" because all the boxes weren't checked off, the books weren't finished, and I tended to have the kids do more busywork, or unneeded 'reinforcement' because it was written down.
My best working plan has developed over the years into a once at the beginning of the month Liturgical based planning session (feast days, holidays, special days or whatever) and then weekly Lesson Planning. This way I can account for whatever is going on, family situation and so on, and so forth.
So, nope - this once a year and done way did not work for me. But, it sure sounded like a good enough idea I tried it twice 
I, too, use the Catholic Women's Daily Planner - I purchase it with the lesson planner and menu planner pages but use them for notes, taping in stuff I've clipped, lists and such matter.
I use a seperate Lesson Planner book, which I change with my whim (you know what I mean "ooooh, that one looks really cool! I think I will get it for next year! I now have a small stack waiting to be used  If I had a separate one for each child it would be faster to use them up, but that is wayyyyyyyyy to much hassel, I only had to try that once!)-
I am using Seton's blank one right now and I keep a 'Learning Journal' in comp books through the year. This is the format I have more or less followed in the past few years. It seems to be working!
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: March 03 2010 at 6:49am | IP Logged
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Thanks Ladies.
Ekbell, I like the idea of adding the Liturgical Year stuff right to the planner. I use the Catholic Woman's Daily Planner but I don't have the lesson plan section. It's nice that all the feast days and everything are right there and it would be easy to transfer that to the student planner. Our year revolves around the Liturgical Year and it makes sense to have the kid's lesson plan reflect that instead of just math, science, handwriting, etc. I think the Good News Planners have some of the Liturgical dates but I'm not sure about all of them. I'll have to check it again.
Trish, I think your monthly planning makes alot of sense. I had considered doing it every six weeks, which would follow the schedule my oldest ds is on (he goes to highschool and they have 6 week sessions). Monthly would be easier for us at home though. I can see myself having a similar experience that you had if I plan our the whole year first. I guess I'm being unrealistic about my ability to stick to a plan! I think this time of year, when things start to get a bit more difficult (we go from February "blahs" to Spring Fever!) I have dreams of a year all planned out and all I have to do is check which pages to do. But that's not really how we homeschool so I need to face the fact that it probably wouldn't work.
As far as different types of planners, I think I've tried new ones each year. Rainbow Resources has way too many to choose from! I haven't tried Seton's yet. What is it that you like about that particular planner?
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TxTrish
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| Posted: March 03 2010 at 10:15am | IP Logged
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I like that it is very plain.
It has a generic weekly 2 page spread, and monthly in the back section.
You can see literally what it contains
here at Seton Books
seriously, that is IT.
My all time favorite (I don't even look at the Rainbow catalogue planner section anymore, wayyyyyyyy to many new choices that are just the same ol' same ol' when I get them in my mailbox.) was the "Catholic Home School Lesson Planner" by a lady down in Conroe, TX. There was a single student version and a family version for up to 4 children. It was FABULOUS! But, I have been unable to buy those for years. They seemed to just drop off the radar. 
Wow! I bet it has been 8 or 10 years ago now - time really flies!
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Gabrielle20, Deavon18, Elizabeth12, Mary10, Greg8
and a grandson!
My Blog
"Duty before everything, even something holy"
St.Padre Pio
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Planners
