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Student Planners

June 1st, 2007 · 20 Comments

In the state of Florida we are required to keep records of what our children do during the year.  An easy way to do that for me, is to have a student planner for each child.  

You can purchase planners at RockSolid  and other homeschool stores, but I like to make my own.  A friend once said, “You like to re-invent the wheel” and I guess I do.  :)
Last year I had the planners spiral bound at Office Depot.  I haven’t decided if I am going to do that again this year or not.  They did look really nice.  :D
For my younger two, I will have in their folders (not in this order):

  • Front cover with photo of child, name, grade, and school year.
  • School Calendar
  • Monthly Calendar - I will be using the Microsoft Excel versions on the YoungMinds CD .  That allows me to change font colors, add text, and add clipart.   I decorate it according to the interest of the child.
  • Attendance Sheet - this is not required in Florida.  I just want to use it.
  • Reading List
  • Website List
  • Curriculum List
  • Names and Address of friends
  • Weekly Planner
  • Journal Pages
  • and anything else I haven’t thought of just yet.  :D

The two older children’s planners will be different.  I will using the Grades and Attendance and Excel Weekly Planner .   These sheets will be printed out along the way and given to the child to place in their three ring binder. 

Will you be keeping a planner for your homeschool?

Update:  I forgot to mention that I use HP color Laser paper, 8.5×11″, 28 lbs.   The 28 lb paper lets you copy on both sides without seeing through the paper, but it isn’t at thick as cardstock. :)

How to bind a planner go here.

You can find more student planners at:

Tags: Homeschool · homeschooling

20 responses so far ↓

  • 1 // Jun 1, 2007 at 9:34 am

    < ![CDATA[Hmmm.....I don't see any pictures. :(

    A record/portfolio is not required by TN law, but I made a notebook for myself for the past year. It mostly sits on my desk taking up space, so I don't know why I would want to do that again....other than to feed my notebook obsession. ;)]]>

  • 2 // Jun 1, 2007 at 9:43 am

    < ![CDATA[Here in Ohio, we are not required to do so........so I don't. If I were, I would do something like you do.

    You inspire me so much, Michelle. I don't think you will ever know how much you have encouraged me with home schooling.]]>

  • 3 // Jun 1, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    < ![CDATA[CC said, "You inspire me so much, Michelle. I don’t think you will ever know how much you have encouraged me with home schooling."

    Really? Thanks CC. :)
    Sheri, I didn’t post any pictures. Just links to the website I am using. I haven’t started printing out the papers yet. I know what I want to do and will be working on that this weekend. ]]>

  • 4 // Jun 1, 2007 at 7:34 pm

    < ![CDATA[Yes I keep a notebook/planner. I fill it up with all sorts of forms. I also go through each of the girls' books and split it all up into daily assigments. I leave a box for a grade and comments and a box for the date it was completed. This is not required in AR and was not in TX but it has been so good for me and J likes to be able to see what we are doing in school. I think he enjoys scrolling down and seeing the grades too. (not always, of course.)

    I use a lot of Donna's forms too. Her Young Minds CD is a dear friend come July and I freak out whenever I cannot find it. :lolol: I keep it put away safe so no one will move it.

    I will be buying the girls' new books mid-July and then it will be time for me to start all of this again. Blah. It takes up so much time.]]>

  • 5 // Jun 1, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    < ![CDATA[I have seen Kelley's notebook. It is biggish and impressive. :D

    I am required to maintain portfolios, but I am not required to show them to anyone. That means our portfolios are very, very basic. I keep one piece of work from each required subject from each quarter, a list of books and materials, a list of field trips, and a list of outside activities. I am also required to keep daily lesson plans or a diary. I do make lesson plans, but since we never seem to do what is planned I also keep a journal on the computer.

    That's it for now.]]>

  • 6 // Jun 2, 2007 at 11:29 pm

    < ![CDATA[That sounds similar to the teacher planner I put together for myself. :) 28 lb paper is simply wonderful isn't it? :)

    I will just have a teacher planner as usual next year. Holly will have her lesson planner too. Her planner basically has a calendar, a checklist, book list, and all of the schedules for her classes and anything else that I think would be handy for her such as my requirements for assignments and how they will be graded. :)]]>

  • 7 // Jun 2, 2007 at 11:54 pm

    < ![CDATA[I like your idea about the paper. I think that I may get some of that paper to make my planner for the coming year.]]>

  • 8 // Jun 3, 2007 at 1:20 pm

    < ![CDATA[ Donna, I love the 28 lb paper. You were the one who told me about it last year. :) ]]>

  • 9 // Jun 3, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    < ![CDATA[Oh yes, I remember that now. :) I started buying it for use in Holly's art classes and now she insists that I keep her supplied in 28 lb paper. She specifically writes 28 lb, 97 bright on the shopping list when we are running low.]]>

  • 10 // Jun 3, 2007 at 7:42 pm

    < ![CDATA[The 28 lb paper would be great for art class. Speaking art, I might have Matthew do your art lessons again next year. I am looking over yor Physical Science (again) notes on your CD and you mentioned it there. :D ]]>

  • 11 // Jun 4, 2007 at 8:27 am

    < ![CDATA[Very good! I really do think they helped my son with his biology drawings. :) On the evaluation pages, his were the examples shown. He improved a great deal and at the very least the art practice made him aware of the true direction and shape of lines and that is what it takes to make a decent line drawing. :)]]>

  • 12 // Jun 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm

    < ![CDATA[I like this idea Michelle. I will try the 28 lb. paper. Thanks for the idea.]]>

  • 13 // Jul 30, 2007 at 5:52 pm

    < ![CDATA[Since we don't test but use the portfolio option I included much of the same except for the grades, attendance and weekly planner, did you see our portfolio stuff in Knights?]]>

  • 14 // Jul 30, 2007 at 7:42 pm

    < ![CDATA[Celticmuse said, "did you see our portfolio stuff in Knights?"

    I did go over there the other day and read one of your posts about it, but didn’t see the picture. I went back to have a look-see and I think it is great. I’ll link to them, so other can see it. :D ]]>

  • 15 // Jul 31, 2007 at 6:57 am

    < ![CDATA[Applie,
    that would be too cool, afterwards can I brag about it? *grinning*]]>

  • 16 // Sep 17, 2007 at 5:09 pm

    < ![CDATA[I've been looking for one of those attendance forms to which you've linked. Very good post, Michelle! Love, Wardeh]]>

  • 17 // Sep 17, 2007 at 8:37 pm

    < ![CDATA[Thanks Wardeh. :) ]]>

  • 18 // Oct 4, 2007 at 5:42 am

    < ![CDATA[Thanks for the great ideas, I am in the middle of creating my own planer so good to see other people's ideas, thanks
    Nicky In New Zealand]]>

  • 19 // Oct 4, 2007 at 7:01 am

    < ![CDATA[Thank you for your comments, Nicky. I have updated this post to add a link to how I bound the planner together. I hope you have success with your planner. ]]>

  • 20 Wardeh // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:19 am

    Michelle,

    You linked me here to this page and I’m reading it now with new eyes! I feel silly for having asked you if you wrote about this somewhere else and now I see you really did and worse yet, I read it and obviously it didn’t sink in (other than those attendance forms, which I really still do need).

    I need some help, obviously! Love, Wardeh

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