It's July! Time For Winning at Planning

I had every intention of beginning my planning long before this day, but as many of you can relate, life got in the way. If you've been with me for any length of time, you know that I am a planner. Flying by the seat of my pants is not the way I roll, so bare with me as I obsess about planning! After 30-something years (like how I skirted around an exact #), I have come to terms with my obsession. 

So, let the games begin! I have most of our curriculum picked out and purchased. As always, I am prepared to sideline anything that doesn't work and go on a hunt for a replacement.

Last year, I had a blog series called Winning at Planning. I have revamped the entire series to match up with my B.Y.O.B Build Your Own Binder Homeschool pages. I truly hope that this series continues to bless you and help you navigate your way through the early days of homeschool planning.

Winning at Planning: Step 1

As you may have noticed, I am a planner. Not that I don't find spur of the moment activities to be fun, but for the most part, I like to have a plan. One thing I have learned from being a classroom teacher and now a homeschool teacher, I hate being unprepared.

My new goal for next year is to be ahead of the game, not one step, but several steps ahead. This idea inspired my new series I've created, Winning at Planning. If you are looking to get more organized, better prepared and just a happier person (yes, I'm promising happiness), then you will want to follow this series.

The foundation of your planning is deciding what subjects you will be teaching. Math, Reading, Writing, Grammar, Spelling, Science, History, Health, Bible, Latin, Spanish, French, Art, Music, etc.
This is the time to be very realistic. Be sure to include classes and activities that will be taught outside of your home. Piano lessons or Latin Club at the local homeschool co-op should be included on your list.

This step is just choosing what to teach, not choosing the curriculum that you will use for each subject. That's the next step. This step is choosing subjects and possibly even narrowing it down to a particular course. Instead of just math, you might write Algebra. Instead of history, you might write Ancient Civilizations.
I know this first step seems like a baby step but it is important. We are going to take this one baby step at a time so that we don't get overwhelmed or go broke trying to find the perfect fit.

If you're using my B.Y.O.B Planning Pages for Homeschoolers, you will want to fill in the subjects column of the Curriculum Plan page. Use one page for each of your children and it is ok if you need more than one page for each of your children.