Recently, when I shared a photo of my crates full of an entire year’s worth of homeschool lesson plans on Facebook, I received a lot of questions. So, I wanted to take a minute to answer those because I think this might be my new favorite way for homeschool lesson planning.
Jackie asked: How?!?! Tips and tricks, please. How does this file system work? I have 5 [children] I’m planning lessons for and it just keeps getting messier.
I have tried several ways to organize our lesson plans to make life easier. (See below.) I needed a plan that would keep us flexible while giving us a clear outline of what needed to be done each day. So, I decided to use one hanging (green) file folder for each homeschool day. These folders are not dated but numbered to maintain an order and to make sure we are getting all of our state required attendance days completed. I did subtract the number of co-op days and enough days so that we can have at least one field trip each month.
Inside each hanging file folder, I have a manila file folder for each child. The manila file folder contains all of the worksheets, books, etc. that the child needs to complete for that day. If they need to do a project that will not fit in the folder – like “build a model of a Viking ship” – then it is written on an index card and placed in the folder.
Also note that my oldest children have daily reading from chapter books as well as math on the computer. Since I obviously cannot fit a computer in the folders, they just know that that must be done and we rotate who works at the computer while the other children are at the table.
Lilly asked: So do you have a crate for each child?Â
I have two crates because that is what it takes to hold all the folders. I have one hanging folder for each day and those hold four manila folders, one for each child. The days are numbered but not dated to make room for sick days, field trips, co-op, and life.
Crystal asked:Â What is IN each folder??
Each folder has their worksheets and assignments for the day. For the preschooler, I have cut apart workbooks and coloring books to keep her busy and I am using printables from the Premium Members Library. I also disassemble workbooks because isn’t that what perforated pages are for? Ha, ha.
You can get a closer look at our curriculum at these links:
- Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
- Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
- 2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum
- 5th Grade Homeschool Social Studies and History Curriculum
- 5th Grade Homeschool Language Arts and Math Curriculum
Lynne said:Â This is my first year to homeschool and I was excited to get about 10 weeks of world geography done. However, in the 3 or 4 weeks we have been homeschooling, we have not followed that plan at all. So much for my planning.
Give yourself tons of grace. It took me three years to find a groove, and I still leave lots of room for flexibility. Nothing I do is dated.
Ann said:Â Wow! I am very impressed with your organization as well as your commitment.
It is the only way I can balance working from home, outside the home responsibilities, and homeschool. I have to MAKE myself do this or come January, everything falls apart. I have tried planning for a few weeks at a time or even for half of the year, but when my motivation wanes, I find myself just doing the basics. I wanted to give my children the education they deserve and this is what I must do to serve them well.
Kelly asked:Â Are you just naturally that organized or is that a state requirement?
Not a state requirement and definitely NOT naturally organized. Just naturally lazy.
Betti asked:Â Do you save their work after it’s completed? If so, for how long?
Most of it, no. I might save lapbooks or special art projects but everything else gets trashed. You can always scan or photograph though.
Supplies you need for this homeschool lesson planning project
- Plastic storage crates (one of two depending on the number of hanging file folders you use)
- Hanging file folders (one for each homeschool day)
- Manila file folders (one for each child and each school day)
- Labels (to mark each folder) or label maker
- Permanent marker
- Worksheets, workbooks, curriculum
Other ways to organize homeschool lesson plans
- Creating a Flexible Homeschool Lesson Plan System details how this idea first began. I started using crates and folders but was still relying on a planner too.
- Organizing Your Homeschool Lesson Plans includes a printable for creating lesson plans in writing should you be required by law to keep up with your detail.
Help for planning your homeschool day
- Sometimes, I giggle when I think about how rigid I used to be. Check out my first attempt at how we planned our homeschool day.
- See how I fit everything into my day as a work from home, homeschooling mother.
- View our homeschool schedule from a few year’s ago and grab our free printable chore chart.
- View our more updated new and stress-less homeschool schedule.
I am doing something similar, but I have one child I’m actively homeschooling and a high schooler(!). (We are going to try studying for CLEP tests this year for him to meet both state requirements and accumulate college credits at the same time.)
I’ve tried different ways to keep track of homework, but I’ve been tweaking things and I think this year will be the best yet! I created a similar file folder but instead of days, I have a folder for each week. That way I can look at the folder at the end of the week and know if she’s done or not! I also have a daily schedule for my daughter so she knows what to do each day. She can cross stuff off when she’s done.
It’s a bit easier as she’s 12 (7th grade) and can work somewhat independently. I asked if I could take her books apart but she doesn’t like that, so I’ll keep them on her HS shelf and she can take out what she needs for the day. Everyone needs to do what works for them, but it’s great to see how others plan!
Lori in NY
😉
How do you have time to plan a whole year in advance while enjoying your summer? Also, how do you even plan a whole year?
Berta
Fellow disorganized procrastinator here: I agree that planning it all out from the beginning helps to ensure that the momentum keeps going, even when Mom is not “feeling it.” Especially mid-year (February is brutal). Planning 3 or 4 or even 6 weeks at a time works during those weeks, but then I would need to motivate myself to plan the next batch, lol!
I tried a similar file folder system once, but found that I was writing too many things on slips of paper, because we use a lot of living books and hands-on activities. My oldest is also starting 9th grade this year. Last year keeping his various textbooks and online lessons (nary a workbook in sight) didn’t work so well with that. I’m working on a sort of hybrid system for this year (yeah, we started this week and I’m still planning, how’s that for procrastinating?).
LOL, Susan! At least we can keep trying until we find something that works… even if it take some of us longer than others. 😉
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been making lesson plans in a notebook…..and it just aint workin’. 🙂 I like this idea much better and am planning on using some of your ideas to use for our school. We school year round and will be starting the new school year next month….ish. 🙂 I’m excited to get all planned and ready for the next year and to start fresh. 🙂
Brilliant! I love how organized this is! Now if I can just get enough plans together…
I do something similar to this but instead if a crate with folders, I use a binder with page protectors. I put all the papers for a day in one page protector- makes it much easier for the days that we leave the house and have to bring school along. I also use lesson plans (in Microsoft word I create a table with two columns and a gazillion rows (theoretically number of subjects x 180) and start typing). I print them in a booklet style and staple together. It helps them become independent- they know they’re aren’t finished until everything is crossed off for the day and it is easy for me to see at a glance as well. These lesson plans are just a summary, not detailed.
I did something similar to this this summer, I have work for the week in a folder for each child, All I have to do on the weekend is take it out of their folder and put it in the 3 ring binder for the day of the week. I got all the math and language arts stuff filed for the whole year this summer, but only the first semester of history and science. Planned to finish it during Christmas but lost all of Christmas Break to the flu. It really made a difference in my sanity this year. My goal for this upcoming summer is to get all of next school year’s work filed over the summer.
This is amazing. I love your idea, and I can not wait to get started on my organizing. This is my third year homeschooling. I am up to three students now with one more later down the road. Thank goodness it is not required to “homeschool” little babies. I have tried a different planner, schedule and “process” each year. It gets better, right? : )
Hmmm… define “better.” LOL It just changes each year. You get in a groove that shifts as they grow so I guess it does get better. You learn to relax and allow your children to learn in the way that suits them best and that certainly makes life easier. Hoping this is finally the system that works for you and your family!
What do you do for science?
I tuck our science and history books in the back of the crate since we work through those texts/activities together. 🙂
This coming fall will be my first year of homeschooling my 6 kids. I’m so glad I found this post as I’ve been searching for the best way to organize our school year. I have a question for you though, do you make copies of all your papers and all your curriculum. I’m considering making copies off all our curriculum and putting them in a 3 ring binder so I only have to buy it once instead of 6 times. Do you think that will save money in the end?
Can you post links for the crates, hanging file folders and manilla folders you use for this system… pretty please? I want to do this but I want to make sure I purchase the correct sizes!
Never mind, I see you did list links above. Classic mom-brain moment…
Hi, this is a great idea!!! I love it! But I do have one question, what do you do with work that hasn’t been worked on that day? Do you move everything else back one day? Sometimes, we only got time to work on two subjects a day. Curious how you do this when things come up? Thanks!
I am SO doing this for the upcoming year!
Why?
1. Once I get in the groove of planning, it’s hard to quit.
2. We need to keep track of the number of days that we actually school.
3. I have a rising middle schooler (gulp!) who NEEDS to become more independent.
4. Since I have a home based biz that peaks during the holidays, I need to be able to grab and teach.
5. After the holidays, I’m wiped and we slow way down and it’s hard to get back in the groove.
6. I have a room overflowing with resources and I want to use them as intended. Like you, come the middle and end of the year, I just plod through the basics and then we’re all bored.
7. We need a clear, defined end in sight for the school year.
I still have my lesson plan book so I can write down details and sketch out the map of my plans.
It’s *only* taken me until my 7th year of h.s. to figure all this out. LOL!
Thanks for sharing this in a way that makes it easy to duplicate and tweak!
Sounds a lot like me. LOL I hope this helps keep you steady and excited all year. 🙂
I love this idea. I have always tried to date everything but then I can’t plan out very far then I lose steam along the way, etc. I’m copying your system this year and I’m really excited to give this a try. I can see this working very well for us. Thanks for sharing!
What a great idea! I have my plans written out for the year by date. But, I was slowly reminded these past couple of weeks why we chose to homeschool in the first place. For the flexible schedule. I love the file folders only containing the days rather than dates. It feels so much more free to not have to stick to a Mon-Friday, Aug-May 8-? time. I think I’ll be trying this this year. Quick question, for curriculum that we do together as a family, would you recommend a folder for each day dedicated to all the kiddos?
Hi Penny:
Like your system but one of my big questions is that i have never done a planing in my life or less more schedule. how will that work for little one? I have a kinder, one in transition of 1st grade and a Highschooler.
Could you give suggestion, advice and guide me to the correct way on how to do a lesson plan.
Thank you
Fam
I just found this post so I hope you will still reply. What do you do if you do most but not everything in a file folder for the day? Does it just go into the next days folder and the kids have to double up to get back on schedule? I have had many days when things just aren’t going well and we don’t get through everything. I don’t understand how this would work for that situation. Though I really love this idea and would love to do this!
love this idea. Will try it
Oh my goodness I love your blog!! So much inspiration for when we start our kindergarten homeschool journey in August!
I also have a 1 1/2 year old and was wondering if you have any tips for schooling with a busy toddler running around wanting your attention??