My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (2024)

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One of my favorite events every spring is planning for the next school year. Believe it or not it’s one of my favorite things to do. I love analyzing how the year went, dreaming about the next year, and thinking about creative ways to make the new school yearfun, cheap, and educational. Through it all, there is one tool that I have found to be of a bigger help than any other, and the tool may actually surprise some of you. It’s Microsoft Excel. I love my excel lesson plan.

I use Microsoft Excel for everything. I use it to create my annual scope and sequence, my lesson plans, my book lists, my daily schedule, and more. And my favorite thing? It’s something I already have on my computer so it is no extra cost to me.

Now, if you want to use an online planner, I still HIGHLY recommend Homeschool Planet as it is the only online program that deviated me from using my favorite planning tool, but if you like to keep things simple and have Excel, it can do virtually everything you need to get you organized for the year.

A Glance at My Excel Lesson Plan

With Excel you can see youryear at a glance for all your childrenon one page…

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (1)

By creating a book list in Excel, I can easily search to find a specific book I am looking for quickly. My book template allows me to also keep track of reading levels and subjects for easy searching too. Not sure how to find out the reading level of a book? Check out my books lists for read level recommendations.

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (2)

Color coding our schedule has helped us a whole lot as do school 4 days a week, and the 4 days are not always the same. Instead of saying we are on Tuesday’s schedule we can just say we are on the red schedule or the blue schedule. It has eliminated so much confusion.

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (3)

I’ve also learned that organizing our school by days instead of weeks has been very helpful as it eliminates the feeling of always being behind. Instead of “we are completing Monday’s assignment for week 26”when it’s really Thursday, I can just say, “today is day 106.” It don’t really matter what week we are in as long as we following the daily lesson plans in order.

Make It Your Own

Want to see what my Microsoft Excel Lesson Plan looks like in the beginning? Here’s the template I start with. Feel free to download it, and make it yours. The download includes one workbook filled with 8 customizable Excel worksheets you can use to organize your school year.

Download the Excel Lesson Plan Template for Free

Where I can I send your free download?

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (4)

One of my favorite events every spring is planning for the next school year. Believe it or not it’s one of my favorite things to do. I love analyzing how the year went, dreaming about the next year, and thinking about creative ways to make the new school yearfun, cheap, and educational. Through it all, there is one tool that I have found to be of a bigger help than any other, and the tool may actually surprise some of you. It’s Microsoft Excel.

I use Microsoft Excel for everything. I use it to create my annual scope and sequence, my lesson plans, my book lists, my daily schedule, and more. And my favorite thing? It’s something I already have on my computer so it is no extra cost to me.

Now, if you want to use an online planner, I still HIGHLY recommend Homeschool Planet as it is the only online program that deviated me from using my favorite planning tool, but if you like to keep things simple and have Excel, it can do virtually everything you need to get you organized for the year.

A Glance at My Excel Lesson Plan

With Excel you can see youryear at a glance for all your childrenon one page…

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (5)

By creating a book list in Excel, I can easily search to find a specific book I am looking for quickly. My book template allows me to also keep track of reading levels and subjects for easy searching too. Not sure how to find out the reading level of a book? Check out my books lists, the Scholastic Book Wizard, or Sylvan’s Book Adventure for read level recommendations.

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (6)

Color coding our schedule has helped us a whole lot as do school 4 days a week, and the 4 days are not always the same. Instead of saying we are on Tuesday’s schedule we can just say we are on the red schedule or the blue schedule. It has eliminated so much confusion.

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (7)

I’ve also learned that organizing our school by days instead of weeks has been very helpful as it eliminates the feeling of always being behind. Instead of “we are completing Monday’s assignment for week 26”when it’s really Thursday, I can just say, “today is day 106.” It don’t really matter what week we are in as long as we following the daily lesson plans in order.

Make It Your Own

Want to see what my Microsoft Excel Lesson Plan looks like in the beginning? Here’s the template I start with. Feel free to download it, and make it yours. The download includes one workbook filled with 8 customizable Excel worksheets you can use to organize your school year.

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (8)

Get Your Excel Lesson Plan Template for Free

Where I can I send your free download?

My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (9)

Want an Excel gradebook too?

Check out Five J’s FREE Gradebook+. The formulas are already added so that your input will keep track of assignments, field trips, activities, and even provide you with a final report card.

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My Favorite Tool to Plan My Homeschool Year - Cornerstone Confessions (2024)

FAQs

How to plan a year of homeschool? ›

Strategies for planning your homeschool year
  1. Consider any previous school experiences.
  2. Plan your school calendar.
  3. Plan your Daily Rhythm.
  4. Set goals for your family.
  5. Curriculum research.
  6. Calendar and Daily Rhythm planning.
  7. Big picture curriculum scheduling.
  8. Monthly calendar and lesson planning.
Jun 11, 2024

How do you organize homeschool lesson plans? ›

5 Steps to Create a Homeschool Lesson Plan
  1. Step 1: Develop a Homeschool Calendar. ...
  2. Step 2: Select Textbooks and Curriculum Materials. ...
  3. Step 3: Determine the Units and Chapters You Will Cover. ...
  4. Step 4: Align the Units and Chapters to Your Homeschool Calendar. ...
  5. Step 5: Break Down Units into Lessons.
Feb 28, 2024

How to write an education plan for homeschooling? ›

Write details for each specific subject;
  1. Ways to teach a Subject. ...
  2. Big Picture Goals - First step in Homeschool Planning. ...
  3. Outline the details of your Specific Course of Study. ...
  4. Writing a Foundation Statement. ...
  5. Writing your Methodology for Teaching the Subject. ...
  6. Writing a Homeschool Resources List.

Can I create my own curriculum for homeschool? ›

While new homeschooling parents are often attracted to complete curriculum packages, homeschooling also offers the ability to tailor a curriculum to your individual child. Home educators often rely on purchased curriculum for some subjects while creating their own learning experiences for other areas of instruction.

What are the best years to homeschool? ›

When it comes to the question of when to start homeschooling, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, and that's perfectly okay! However, childhood development experts suggest the early years are prime for homeschooling, as they tap into children's natural curiosity.

What is the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling? ›

The Charlotte Mason method is based on Charlotte's firm belief that the child is a person and we must educate that whole person, not just his mind. So a Charlotte Mason education is three-pronged: in her words, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.”

How do you structure a homeschool day? ›

Create a routine, not a schedule

So instead of a hard and fast block that says you will start math at 8:00 and then do reading at 8:45 and spelling at 9:10, shoot for beginning your first work block sometime between 8 and 8:30 and then have one thing follow another until you are done.

What is a homeschool planner? ›

Homeschool planners are a must for keeping track of your lesson plans, schedules, field trips, goals, reading lists, and more.

How do you structure a good lesson plan? ›

Every lesson should contain a clear beginning, middle, and end.
  1. At the beginning, the goals and standards are introduced.
  2. In the middle, the students use modeling, guided practice, and active engagement strategies to meet the objective.
  3. At the end of the lesson, the students' mastery of the objective is assessed.

How do you write a good learning plan? ›

5 Steps to Creating a Personal Learning Plan
  1. Identify a Learning Objective. Before creating a personal learning plan, you need to identify your objective. ...
  2. Break Your Objective into Smaller Goals. ...
  3. Develop Your Plan. ...
  4. Take Advantage of Available Resources. ...
  5. Hold Yourself Accountable.
May 17, 2018

What is a homeschool IEP called? ›

However, as the administrator of your homeschool, you may choose to draft a Student Education Plan (SEP) for your child, which is best described as the homeschool version of the IEP/ISP.

What is a learning plan template? ›

Learning Plan - a detailed document that outlines what an individual needs to learn to meet the challenges of the job and the expectations of the supervisor.

How to write homeschool curriculum? ›

Here are some general steps to follow to help you design a curriculum for any subject.
  1. Review Typical Courses of Study by Grade. ...
  2. Do Your Research. ...
  3. Identify Topics to Cover. ...
  4. Ask Your Students. ...
  5. Create a Timetable. ...
  6. Select High-quality Resources. ...
  7. Schedule Related Activities.
Mar 18, 2020

How to create a homeschool syllabus? ›

Once you've decided what you want to cover, follow these steps to design a curriculum around it:
  1. Do your research – but just enough to know what you want to learn. ...
  2. Identify the topics and concepts you want your children to learn. ...
  3. Create a timetable. ...
  4. Select high-quality resources. ...
  5. Add in hands-on activities.
Aug 7, 2020

How to choose your homeschool curriculum? ›

How to Choose the Best Homeschool Curriculum for Your Family
  1. Check Your State Requirements. ...
  2. Set a Budget. ...
  3. Identify Your Homeschooling Style and Philosophy. ...
  4. Consider Your Student's Learning Preferences and Needs. ...
  5. Determine Your Ideal Level of Involvement. ...
  6. Evaluate How Much Instructor Support You Need. ...
  7. Try Before You Buy.
May 17, 2023

How much time should I spend homeschooling? ›

Keep in mind that focused one-on-one instruction will be quicker and more efficient than group instruction and actual teaching time will vary by student, family and ability levels. Budget an average of 3-4 hours a day of school time; some days will be less, some may be more.

How long should a homeschool lesson be? ›

Be flexible and allow your child's pacing and rhythms to inform the lesson times. Additionally, remember that those 45 minutes per subject do not have to be spent solely doing book-based learning and practicing. Subject-related field trips, games, or activities all contribute to those 45 minutes per subject.

Why homeschool year round? ›

1. Greater flexibility in scheduling. Homeschooling year-round offers the flexibility to adapt schedules as needed during seasons of transition, unexpected changes, or burnout.

How many weeks is the good and beautiful? ›

The Good and the Beautiful core subjects of math and language arts are each 120 lessons long. If you complete a single lesson 4 days a week, you'll finish in 30 weeks.

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