The Schoolhouse Planner

I know I said I wasn't going to post this week, but I completely forgot that I had signed on to review a great resource from The Old Schoolhouse Store - The Schoolhouse Planner.

I am not a stranger to the planner ... I purchased both the 2009 and 2010 version and wasn't planning on purchasing the 2011 version. I figured that with the two that I had, I was set with whatever forms I could possibly need. However, this one is over the top bigger than the two I had before! Topping out at at mega 819 pages, the planner has about every form that you could possibly need.

Things that I love about this planner:

• The two page monthly layouts - large squares with lots of room to write in (which, with four kids, I need large squares!) There is a lined and unlined version of this layout - I always go for lines myself - and a one-page monthly planner page if you don't need a two page spread.
• Fifty-eight pages of recipes!
• What they call "must-know lists" - things that a student should memorize and/or handy references for facts such as the books of the Bible, miracles / parables of Jesus, list of Newberry and Caldecott medal winners, a picture book list, U.S. Presidents, the periodic table of elements, a kitchen conversion cheat sheet and the list goes on.

And then there are the homeschool forms! So. many. options. : ) There are weekly planning forms in many different layouts (one of which I think will be my form for this coming year with two students). There are daily planning pages, assignment sheets, and long range planning forms (map out your year for each student with goals you want them to accomplish). Another set of forms that I have been using since the first planner I purchased in 2009 is my Twelve Year Planning forms - they are great for jotting down ideas for down the road, ie., books that I want my girls to read in high school that I might see mentioned in a homeschool catalog or a blog post. Speaking of high school, they have TONS of high school forms that are geared to help you plan your students course of study. While I don't need those for several years, they look like some great resources for down the road!

My two-cents about this planner now that I've told you about some of the great features that it contains:

• it contains a WEALTH of information and forms - tons that you will see yourself using and many that you didn't even think of but will come in handy all the same.
• It is pricey at $39.00. (I can't remember, but I don't think I paid that much for the two I purchased).
• This would be a great resource for a first-time homeschooler who might need a jump-start on planning and organization.
• It might be a tad bit overwhelming when you start going through it. There is certainly a lot of good stuff here, but there is also a lot of stuff that I won't use that I had to wade through. 

All that to say, if you are looking for a great planner for your homeschool year, I can recommend this one as one that is worth considering. 

Thank you to The Old Schoolhouse Store for allowing me to review and share my opinion on this planner. I received no compensation other than an electronic copy of the planner - all opinions are my own.