Amber Stanley, a homeschooler, recognized that standard homeschool planners didn’t meet her family’s needs. So, she took matters into her own hands and created a customized homeschool planner that worked for them. As we know, every homeschooling family has unique ways of organizing their days, weeks, months, and years. Let’s dive into the details of Amber’s planner and how it helps streamline homeschooling activities.

How long have you been homeschooling and what are the ages of your homeschooled children?

We started homeschooling about 4 years ago. My children are 9 and 6.

Not all homeschoolers use a planner. What makes a planner useful for your family?

A planner is my go-to for organizing our homeschool! I mainly use it to keep an eye on what we need to do for the week - pages, chapters we need to cover, any upcoming library requests, additional worksheets or items needed. I also track events outside our home for that week so I can plan accordingly - field trips, co-ops, vacations, and appointments. 

What inspired you to create a paper planner?

I created this paper planner because most of the planners I saw had the days of the week on the left and the subjects at the top - so when you looked at your day, you were going across the pages. I like to see my full day in one column so I swapped that.

Additionally, I found myself writing extra events above the day for planning purposes. With my planner, it’s all in one column and under the day - looking more organized. I like to see the notes for that week, like upcoming library requests or other to-do items, all on the same page. I even put in my own to-do items that are not homeschool related so I can easily see them.

I created a paper planner because that’s what I use. I like writing in it because it is much faster for me than digital and I get the added bonus of checking things off which is always nice! I also like that it can act like a folder - keeping additional worksheets or other papers in it for when I need them. 

What features are included in your design?

My simple homeschool planner has the subjects on the left side, days of the week on the top, so you can see your whole day in one column and the whole week for a subject left to right. 

It is dated so you do not need to spend any extra time writing the dates and you can plan ahead right away. Each day includes space at the top to note any events such as appointments, co-ops, or field trips allowing for easy reference and planning. There is a full length notes section providing ample space for library requests, to-do items, weekly check-ins, etc.  The back has a 2 page spread of the 2024 months on the left and 2025 on the right for easily accessible data for the year, such as books read, field trips taken, monthly goals achieved, etc.

How do you envision the future of paper calendars in a digital age?

I use a digital calendar to organize my life but it is full of appointments, birthdays, tax filing dates, reminders, etc. It’s very useful for planning life and having it right on my phone is quite nice. 

However, I chose a paper planner for our homeschool so I can be more intentional about my time. Seeing our schedule and my to-do list in front of me allows me to focus on what we need to do. 

I do not see paper calendars disappearing, as both types are useful.

The burning question! Pencil or pen?
Pencil, all the way! Mistakes are easily erased!

How do you use your planner? Do you focus on homeschooling exclusively in your use or do you use it for organizing family life/the household overall?

Aside from homeschool, it might include some to-do list items that I need to accomplish for that week - like schedule an appointment, house maintenance, etc. 

How far in advance do you plan?

Great question! With my first planner, I planned FAR out and it was fun to see all that we’d be doing. I quickly learned that is not realistic for me and my family and A LOT needed to be erased. I now plan a week or two ahead and that works well for us.

A homeschool planner may not be part of your homeschooling style but if it is then finding the right planner depends on your family’s unique needs and preferences. Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler or just starting out, there’s likely a planner that suits you best! 

Amber Stanley’s Simple Homeschool Planner July 2024 - June 2025