Planning your homeschool year can be daunting. It doesn't matter if it is the first year or your tenth. There are some tips that can make it easier. The main thing is that you have to look at what will work for you.
Set Time to Plan
This is perhaps the biggest downfall. We think we can just fit in the time to plan around our regular life. To often life gets way too busy and we never set that time aside. Scrolling through pinterest or amazon is not really planning. I personally take four set times a year to plan. Once over the summer to get ready for the turning over of the new year, once in the fall after we started, again in January after we've had our holiday break and then again in spring. Why so many times. Each season brings different situations.
Summer - I make sure we have all the curriculum we need. I set up a tentative schedule and organize my supplies. This is the biggest plan of the year and takes me about a week. I print what needs printing, file, sort. Sell off what we are not using.
Fall - I tend to evaluate what's working and what isn't. This is usually a month into our new year. This is typically just an hour of time.
January - I look to see where we are in our books. Are we moving too slow or too fast. Do we need to add or remove something. It is about adjusting our year. I also tend to do a quick cleanout of our homeschool space. I tend to take a few days in January before we start back to the books to do this.
Spring - This is typically when most curriculum companies have their sales. It helps me to have a tentative plan on what I want to use so I can take advantage of the deals. Because I keep a running list of the things I'm on the look out for - this can last all spring but I do spend time paying attention to the sales.
Pen/paper or Digital
This is really a personal preference and one you should pick solely on which you'll likely use. I found that I like pen/paper planning. I have a little notebook I keep track of things in. This is what works best for me.
Supplies
Make sure you have all your supplies ready to go. Paper, printer ink, pens, post its - whatever your going to need.
Map it Out
This is perhaps the most useful tip I can give you. I have a general plan for all of my kids from kindergarten through graduation. This way I know what I need to cover. It fluctuates. Maybe we spend a little more time on ancient history or we deep dive into geology, but I always come back around for 7th-12th to make sure I hit all the courses they will need to graduate. One thing that has helped me is to keep note of our state standards and what local colleges are expecting. This way my kids can have a competitive transcript.
Any tips you'd like to share for planning?