TOS Review - Apologia Homeschool Planner

I am a planner.... Born that way! I actually have been known to calm myself down, put myself to sleep, or just plain relax by pulling out a calendar and planning. So, I was thrilled to get a chance to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner - Orange Cover from Apologia Educational Ministries.


The planner also comes in yellow and blue.

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What is The Ultimate Homeschool Planner?

I receive a spiral-bound physical planner that has a water-resistant cover.

It is packed with everything a homeschooling mom needs to plan. I opened it up and saw several pages explaining how to use it. I then began to look through the pages and saw:

• Year-At-A Glance Calendar Pages Through 2017
• Contact Information Sheet
• Yearly planning sheets
• Student Goal Setter Pages
• Pre-Planning Guides
• Monthly Planner
• Weekly Planner
• Records - Grades
• Records - Reading Lists
• Records - Activities
• Teaching Tips
• High School Planning Guide
• Year In Review
• Notes
• Bibliography and About the Author Pages

How Did We Use It?

Having a high school sophomore and an 8th Grader who is doing high school work this year, I was immediately drawn to the High School Planning pages first. I was so excited about this section that I dove right in and completely skipped the introduction of how to use the planner.

I then went back and read the how to use it pages before beginning the rest of it. The "How To Us It" section encourages setting aside planning sessions where prayer is the main focus and open discussions with husband and children are encouraged to set goals together. It suggests:

• A Yearly Planning Retreat (4-8 hours)
• A Monthly Planning Session (2 hours)
• A Weekly Planning Break (30 minutes)
• Monday Morning Tutorials and Prayer (20 minutes per child)
• Friday Afternoon Reviews (15 minutes per child)

I love having the option of not having to choose between a monthly planner or a weekly planner, because there is merit in both, both of them are right there in one handy Planner.

What Did We Think?

First of all, I absolutely love Apologia. I don't think there is a product that they have put their name on that is anything short of amazing.This planner is no exception. It is quality and packed with everything a homeschooling mom needs. It also feels good in your hands, and they even thought to make the cover out of a wipe-off material, so there is no worries if I set it down on the counter by mistake or out of habit. Inside the covers are folder slots for loose papers. So wonderful!

Another thing I really appreciated was that within the weekly planners, there is a section at the end/beginning of each new week to write down your Bible Plan, your Battle Plan with a fighter Bible verse, your Prayers, and your Hospitality/Outreach plans or successes. It also has a section to write your most memorable moments from the week as well as evidences of Grace. With these sections provided each week, the planner becomes more of a diary or keepsake alongside the planner.

And, not to be left out, the Monthly Planner section also has a space for notes as well as various encouraging quotes.

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