Homeschool Planner ~ Review

As you may know, my little guy just turned two - so you may be asking why I am reviewing a homeschool planner! Well, I LOVE researching! I love reading about educational philosophy and figuring out what will work out best for my family. I have been looking at all educational options, so when I was given the opportunity to review the Ultimate Homeschool Planner by Debra Bell, I jumped at the chance! Check out a sample here!

First off, I love planners. Love them :) I also love planning and thinking ahead, so it was fun to really think about what homeschooling might mean - and how you would organize your daily life. Secondly, the planner is gorgeous. It beautifully designed, just the right size and made of sturdy materials - perfect for someone like me who abuses their poor planners.

I really like the layout! There is clear guidance at the beginning, so someone like me with no homeschool experience and the need to thoroughly understand a process will be well satisfied. I also really like that the author first asks you to look at your family priorities and then build your school goals around that. One of the benefits of homeschooling is independent thinking and individual attention, so coming up with goals is an incredibly important first step!

Down to the details ~Inside is a user's guide, one-year planning grid, student goal setter, pre-planning guides, monthly planner, weekly planner, records, teaching tips, high school planning guide, a year in review, notes and a bibliography. This planner really has everything all in one place. 

The planner itself is undated, which means is it ultimately flexible! The bulk of this great planner’s pages are simply for your weekly planning, with room every week for memorable moments and achievements! I love this part.




I do have to share that the planner is strongly God-centric. I know this is incredibly important for some and from what I can tell - it is a huge selling point! However, coming from a more secular background, it was a little much for me. Though, in the end I think that the strength of the planner design is great whether you embrace the religious content or not! I think it's well worth the $28 price tag.

In addition to the planning system for the "teacher" - there is a compatible daily planner for students ($19) and a weekly planner for teens ($19). I had the chance to review the daily planner and I was really, really impressed. It is colorful, well laid out and allows for students to really take charge of their education. I would have loved it as a student - and even now am contemplating using it for myself! It is the perfect size for my purse :) I was planning on doing a giveaway to give someone else the opportunity to experience the quality - but I am having a hard time letting go!