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Printable Student Planning Page

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A while back I described what happens during the Weekly Planning Meetings my older girls and I have each week. Though these lesson plan meetings will continue this school year, I’ve decided to update the tool the girls use to plan their weekly assignments. This new system will allow us to plan more quickly and easily.

A New Way of Planning

Instead of using a notebook to record weekly assignments, the girls will now be using the 8.5×11″ Student Planning Page I recently designed. This new page is larger than the notebook the girls used last year and offers them more room to record their assignments. The Student Planning Page also eliminates the time consuming process of spacing and dating notebook pages.

What’s On the Student Planning Page

I designed The Student Planning Page for students in middle and high school. This single planning page has a separate section for each day of the school week. Each of these sections features a place to write up to eight subject names and corresponding assignment details. In addition, there is a column for students to check off completed assignments.

How To Use the Student Planning Page

It’s easy to use the Student Planning Page. When you’re ready to plan the week, print a copy. Gather the school books and sit down with your child. Have your child complete the page by filling in the assignments that need to be completed during the coming week. Once it’s filled in, punch holes in the planning page and stash it inside a three ring binder or a pronged folder. This will help you keep track of the school year’s lesson plans.

Download Your Copy

This new Student Planning Page is a great planning resource, so I’m offering it to AAHM readers as well. Click the link to download the Student Planning Page. I hope you find it helpful!

Weekly Planning Meeting: Middle School

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Lesson planning is part of the weekly routine here in the Thorpe household. Before the start of each new week, I sit in a comfortable place, sift through a stack of student textbooks, flip through teachers’ guides, and jot down multicolored notes in composition notebooks. My planning routine has been going on for years, but as my children have gotten older, I’ve shifted some of the planning duties to them.

Once my girls entered middle school, I required them to join me as I planned the week’s lessons. I wanted them to begin taking more responsibility for their assignments, to see how much time and effort went into planning, and to understand my lesson planning process. These joint Weekly Planning Meetings have given the girls much insight into lesson planning and have helped me make the planning process more productive and more efficient.

Benefits of Weekly Planning Meetings

Weekly meetings give us time to talk about how school is going. As we plan together, the girls and I have time to chat about what did and did not work well during the previous week. Was there enough time to complete the science experiments? Did we plan enough time to finish the assigned amount of reading? Can we move a bit faster in math or do we need to slow down? As we plan together, we can adjust the lesson plans to suit each girl’s needs.

Weekly meetings foster independence. When it’s time to school, the girls open their planners and begin to work, often without much input from me. Because we’ve planned together, they know exactly what to do and can often begin to work on lessons independently.

Weekly meetings foster encourage flexibility. I’m teaching three separate grades, so my girls need to be both flexible and patient. If I’m teaching a lesson to my first grader, my older daughters can easily switch gears and work on another subject while they wait for me to finish teaching their younger sister.

Weekly planning meetings reduce the number of questions I receive. Throughout the week, I answer fewer planning related questions. What do I do next? What books do I need? How much should I read? These are no longer questions that need to be answered because they’re always addressed during our weekly planning meeting.

What We Need For Weekly Planning Meetings

Each of my girls has a separate planning time. So when it’s time to meet, my daughter and I come to the spot with our materials. They include:

  • journals
  • writing utensils (pens, highlighters, pencils, erasers)
  • student textbooks
  • teachers’ editions
  • ruler
  • laptop

What We Do During the Weekly Planning Meeting

I have the girls use a two page spread that provides them with ample writing space and allows them to see the entire school week at a glance. If necessary, they use a ruler to divide the pages into six equally sized sections. The first five sections are labeled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The sixth and final section is labeled Notes. Once sections are labeled, the girls go back and date each section.

Next, the girls open their books and use them to write out plans by subject. As we review each subject, the girls fill in assignments for each school day, including page and/or lesson numbers when necessary.

The Notes section is optional, but it provides a space for the girls to record any other details that affect their week. This includes instrumental lessons, soccer practices, church youth group meet-ups, medical appointments, etc.

As the girls plan in their journals, I also write the plans inside my bullet journal. If the girls misplace their planning journals, I still have record of their weekly assignments.

Tips for Using a Weekly Planning Meeting

Make time to plan. Set a predetermined day and time and stick to it. Make planning part of your weekly routine, but choose a day and time that will work for you and your child.

Start slowly. In the beginning things will likely move slowly as you get used to this new routine. As you hold more meetings, planning will be completed in a shorter amount of time.

Allow plenty of time. Don’t rush through the planning routine. This meeting often sets the tone for the school week, so make sure you take time to ask and answer questions. Discuss plans fully so everyone knows what to do.

Make it fun. Break out the special planning tools. Allow your child to choose their own planning journals and writing utensils. We love colorful Leuchtturm 1917 journals and we swoon over Ink Joy Gel Pens!

Pick out a comfortable meeting place. Planning takes time and space, so you’ll want to select a work space that has plenty of room for all of your materials and features comfortable seating. Our favorite place to plan is in our sunroom because we love the room’s natural light and comfy couches.

My girls and I have found Weekly Planning Meetings to be an effective way to help keep our homeschool running smoothly. For more tips on lesson planning, check out these additional posts: Creating Lesson Plans Using Evernote and Tips For Creating Weekly Lesson Plans.

9 Ways To Become A Better Homeschool Mom

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The start of the new school year is just a few weeks away. Even though it’s still summer, I spend a portion of each day preparing for what’s ahead. My preparation includes the usual things: selecting curriculum, creating reading lists, planning trips, and sifting through extracurricular options.

But this year, I’m also taking time to do some personal preparation as well. I want to start the school year with the right mindset, so I’ve been reflecting upon the previous school year and thinking about ways to become a better homeschool mom this school year.

The result of my thinking can be summed up in this list of suggestions. If you’re interested in becoming a better homeschool mom this year, perhaps these nine suggestions will enlighten and encourage you.

1. Be spontaneous. We all know that planning ahead is one of the keys to homeschool success. It gives us focus and brings us peace of mind. However, taking time to enjoy an unplanned activity can be purposeful as well as fun.

These last minute outings may become the highlights of the school year. Every once in a while, it’s good for us to step off the well planned path and take time to enjoy something unexpected but awesome.

2. Connect with other homeschool families. Homeschooling can be a lonely journey, but it doesn’t always have to be. When we establish connections with other homeschool families, we become part of a likeminded community and experience the joy of new friendships.

If face to face connections are difficult, we can seek out online groups or forums specifically created for homeschool moms. Through these connections we can share homeschool joys and seek answers to our homeschool dilemmas.

3. Maintain realistic expectations. Our desire to raise knowledgable and successful children drives our curriculum choices and helps determine the extracurricular activities in which our children will participate. Because there are so many excellent activities and courses to choose among, our excitement may lead us outside of the realm of what’s humanly possible.

In order to maintain good mental health, we should avoid taking on too many responsibilities and fight the urge to create overwhelming weekly schedules. There are only 24 hours in each day and we have to be realistic about how we spend those hours.

4. Exercise your right to say no. We can’t let other people, even those with good intentions, dictate our schedules. Caving in to pressure or giving in to guilt means we may end up taking on tasks we don’t want or don’t have time to tackle.

It’s well within our right to say no to a teaching assignment at co-op or to decide against serving as the host of the weekly homeschool science club. Saying no today may prevent stress tomorrow.

5. Refuse comparisons. Most of us know that one homeschool mom who is always doing something amazing with her kids. Many of us have visited that one homeschool Pinterest board chock full of fantastic homeschool activities. Sometimes these encounters leave us feeling as if we’re not doing enough for our own kids.

Don’t compare your homeschool to anyone else’s homeschool. Each one of us is on our own unique homeschool journey, one that is just right for our family. Let’s refrain from using another mom’s yardstick to measure our homeschool success. Instead, let’s choose to appreciate the beauty of our individual homeschools.

6. Relax. We’re moms and we want to give our children the best. However, sometimes in our quest for the best, we get worked up and let the What Ifs run rampant in our minds. What if she doesn’t learn to read until age 6? What if I have to switch math curriculum midyear? What if we fail to complete all of the science experiments?

Don’t worry, dear sister. It will be okay. Just relax and continue to move forward.

7. Place relationships before rigor. The ABCs and 123s are important, but they’re not more important than our relationships with our children. Homeschooling is about more than facts and figures.

If our kids are full of facts, but lack the joy of fulfilling family relationships, we have missed the mark. During our homeschool days, let’s be intentional about strengthening the relational bonds between parents and children and among siblings.

8. Stop beating yourself up. We all make mistakes and we can’t do everything. But in spite of our shortcomings, the Earth continues to rotate and each day is a new one full of opportunity.  Beating ourselves up over the past isn’t a good use of our time. In fact, doing so can lower our self-esteem and decrease our productivity.

When we make a mistake or slip up in other areas, we can choose not to dwell upon it. Instead, we can learn from the mistakes, endeavor to do better, and best of all, move on.

9. Take care of yourself. When was the last time you had a physical? Is it time for a mammogram? Are you ignoring health issues because you don’t have time to make personal appointments? Are you eating well? Do you exercise regularly? Are you getting enough sleep?

Yes, we are busy women, but we have to make time for self care. Heart disease, stroke, and depression are real. We can’t give our kids what they need, if we haven’t gotten what we need. Every single day we should take time to care for ourselves. Our families will be blessed by our efforts.

 

Finding and Organizing Math Manipulatives

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Math manipulatives are awesome! I love them because they allow me to present mathematical concepts in a concrete manner my girls easily understand. My girls love them because they’re fun to play with and make learning mathematical concepts more enjoyable.

If you’re into math manipulatives like me or you want learn more about them, please continue reading. I’m sharing a list of our must have manipulatives, describing where to purchase them, noting printable math manipulative resources, and offering ideas on how to store them.

Must Have Homeschool Math Manipulatives

These are the Thorpe family’s “must have” math manipulatives.

  • Counters (bears, beads, cubes, etc)
  • Linking clips
  • Snap/Unifix cubes (Use them in this fun and free Snap Cube activity) 
  • Abacus
  • Place Value Rods
  • Tangram Pieces
  • Fraction Bars
  • Spinners
  • Mosaic tiles
  • Pattern Blocks/Shape Tiles
  • Geoboards
  • Clocks
  • Flash Cards
  • Pentaminoes

Where To Find Homeschool Math Manipulatives

Over the years, I’ve found math manipulatives in a variety of places. Here are a few of the places I check when looking for additional math manipulatives.

  • Curriculum publishing company: You’ll find exactly what you’re looking for when purchasing math manipulatives directly from the curriculum provider you’ve chosen. If you’re considering costs, you may want to search elsewhere as this tends to be the most expensive option.
  • Local homeschool curriculum sales: Each spring, many of the local homeschool groups in our area host used curriculum sales. I’ve hit the homeschool jackpot several times while shopping the local sales.
  • Yard sales: Keep an eye out for math manipulatives at yard sales. If you’d like to learn about a homeschool mom can make the most of a yard sale, check out this post: The Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Yard Sales.
  • Library: Our local library holds used book sales three or four times each year. They’ve included a new educational section that offers manipulatives in addition to books.
  • Ebay: I always find manipulatives here. Prices are usually reasonable, especially if you buy used manipulatives. Just check out the shipping costs to make sure you’re getting a fair price.
  • Amazon: You already know Amazon rocks! I often purchase manipulatives from Learning Resource Center and Child Craft. Depending upon the vendor, Amazon Prime members may not have to pay for shipping.
  • Facebook: There are dozens and dozens of homeschool sale/swap groups on Facebook. Great items are posted daily. Go the extra mile and see if you can find a local sale/swap group. Meet up in a safe public location and pay cash. No shipping fees!
  • Homemade: This is a fun and inexpensive option and one children may be able to do alongside you. This post, 15 Homemade Math Manipulatives, has great ideas for making homeschool math manipulatives.

Free Math Manipulative Printables

  • Centre for Innovation in Mathematics: This is an awesome general math site, but check out the math printables under the title For All Years 1 to 6. This includes printable number lines, number cards, shape cards, and math sign cards. These are great to use in games or in math journals.
  • Donna Young’s Math Section: Donna Young’s website is one every homeschool mom should visit often. You could spend hours checking out all of her resources, but this math page will provide useful printables for math lessons.
  • Mathematics Blackline Masters: Make sure your printer’s ink cartridge is fully loaded because you’re going to want to print many of the awesome math printables here!
  • I Am Homeschooling: Before you purchase manipulatives, you’ll want to check out this awesome list of printable manipulatives. Laminate them, so they’ll last for years to come.

Storing Homeschool Math Manipulatives:

If I’m not careful, manipulatives will take over my house! However, just by using simple and inexpensive items, I can keep our homeschool math manipulatives neatly stored and well organized. Consider these simple storage solutions.

  • Place manipulatives inside plastic organizers of various colors and sizes. Dollar Tree often has a great selection of plastic organizers.
  • Seal manipulatives inside sandwich, quart, and gallon size zipper lock storage bags.
  • Keep flashcards and small items like bills and coins inside of zippered pencil pouches.
  • Store bags of manipulatives inside of sturdy shoeboxes. Shoeboxes can be stacked on top of one another for easy storage.
  • Storage bags of manipulatives inside of canvas storage bins. I usually purchase mine at Walmart or Big Lots.
  • Designate a desk drawer as place for storing bags of manipulatives.

Math manipulatives are a helpful resource for the homeschooling mom. Gather them now and organize them neatly, so they’re easily accessible all school year long.

Homeschooling With Google Classroom

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Homeschool moms rejoice! Google Classroom is now available to the general public. In the past, Google Classroom was only available to those with an official educational domain, but this is no longer the case. If you have a Google account, you now have access to Google Classroom as well. Homeschool moms can now use Google Classroom to create classes for their children and homeschool groups. <Insert fist bump here!>

What is Google Classroom?

Google Classroom is a powerful educational platform that uses Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Gmail as tools to help educators plan, create, schedule, communicate, and distribute course information.

Tutorials on Google Classroom

If you’re new to Google Classroom, you’ll definitely want to take the time to learn how to use it effectively. One of the best ways to do so is by viewing tutorials. Here are a few thorough Google Classroom tutorials, plus a link to the Google Classroom Support and Forum, to help you get you started.

Once you’re familiar with how Google Classroom works, you may want to look for more detailed subject matter videos. Search for specific topics (how to create a test, how to add playlists, etc) to get the most usage from the platform.

How Homeschool Moms Can Use Google Classroom

Because Google Classroom is such a powerful platform, it can be used in many different ways. If you’re not sure how Google Classroom can be used in your homeschool, I’ve listed some suggestions to help you make the most of this powerful resource.

  1. Create lesson plans. Move lesson plans from other places and keep them digitally organized on Google Classroom. (If you’d like to learn more about creating homeschool lesson plans, check out this post: Tips For Creating Weekly Lesson Plans.)
  2. Create a calendar. Keep track of assignments by using Google calendar.
  3. Add files. Files can easily be added to and downloaded from Google Classroom.
  4. Add announcements. If you’d like alert your child to important information, create an announcement for him to see.
  5. Check your child’s activity. See when your child was last active in the classroom.
  6. Send due date reminders. Reduce the last minute rush to complete assignments by sending reminders in the days prior to the due date.
  7. Set up future assignments. Stay one step ahead in your planning by adding assignments today and scheduling them for a later posting date.
  8. Keep track of grades. Another task that is a breeze within Google Classroom.
  9. Communicate with your child. As your child works on assignments, she can leave comments or questions for you to see. Responding is also easy to do.
  10. Invite others to join your class. This is a great option for those teaching co-op classes or for moms teaching a single class to multiple children.
  11. Create YouTube playlists for students. Share videos related to the class. Children can access all videos in one place..
  12. Link to websites. Send students to relevant sources using specific outside links.
  13. Create tests. Whether your tests feature open-ended or multiple choice questions, Google Classroom provides the tools you need to create them.
  14. Add photos. Upload photos and use them however you like. Photos can provide examples of  subject matter or be used as writing prompts, etc.
  15. Recreate assignments with ease. Easily recreate and tweak frequently used forms such as discussion questions for vocabulary lists.
  16. Personalize the look of your class. Create a thematic look by uploading a photo be used as the class image. (This is similar to a Facebook header.)

I’m thrilled about this update to Google Classroom! I’ll use it to create classes for my girls, but I’ll also be using it to plan coursework for the weekly literature and writing classes I teach. Do you already use Google Classroom? Do you have tips for additional usage? If so, feel free to share them here or start a discussion about Google Classroom over in the AAHM Facebook group.