Many of you have asked when the Ultimate Homeschool Planner designed by me and featured in Apologia’s latest catalog will be available. Hang on. It’s almost here. The planner for moms went to the printer last week, and the planners for students (4th-8th) and teens (7th-12th) are headed there shortly. Launching a brand new product line is an arduous project — especially if you want to have the nerve to use the term ultimate in the title.
These three planners have gone through dozens of iterations already, based upon feedback from focus groups and reviewers. At this point, Apologia has generously brought so many highly-skilled people on to the project, I’m a bit embarrassed to claim authorship. It really has been a team effort and many experienced homeschool moms have made invaluable contributions toward our goal of creating an elegant, easy-to-use, and above all, God-centered planning system that will lighten your load — not create another burdensome chore.
But I’ll let you decide if we have reached that goal or not. Here is a preview of the 48-week daily planner for up to six children: Ultimate Homeschool Planner Sample
What do you think? Does this look promising?
OH MY! I am so excited to get this. Definitely what I need!
Thanks so much and I’m so pumped!
Meghan
http://www.thetuckerstaketennessee.com
@meghantucker
I am so excited to see the mom planner!!! My son is young so we’re not quite ready for the actual school planners, but those will be great I am sure.
This looks like it would be a great planner! So much built in encouragement and expertise. I love the ideas seen here – Monday Tutorial and Friday Review, along with family goals and ways to mark progress! Can’t wait to see more. Thank you.
I HAVE to have that! These three planners are exactly what my family has been looking for. What a blessing they will be to us. Can’t WAIT!
Would love to see more about these planners, they look very promising. Please keep us updated!
Wow! finally I found what I was looking for. I don’t need to make my own! I have tried to find a planner which makes me smile. Now I found it! I can’t wait.
Looks wonderful I love how there are instructions and tips! So how much is this going to cost. I am so on the fence about buying anything because I am having such a problem deciding on planners and finding something simple and easy to use.
The planner for mom retails for $24 ( check CBD for best price). The planner for teens is $19 and the planner for students is $14.
While the foremost purpose is to help you track your progress and nudge your kids toward independence, the long-term goal is to create a family heirloom that records God’s faithfulness and blessings during your homeschool journey. So, we trust that makes the cost worhtwhile.
when will these be available to purchase?
The mom’s planner should be available by the end of the month, and the student planners by the end of August.
Thanks, I think I will order this soon.
I love this statement that you wrote, “You incrementally move your children towards greater ownership and greater responsibility in managing their time.” That is exactly my goal. I want my 11 yo to take ownership! Looking forward to a Planner for myself and my daughter. Thank you!
Michelle,
That’s exactly why I’m so pleased with this project. My editor, Zan Tyler, had the idea for me to do a line of planners, and then I realized it would be the perfect tool to help moms raise an independent learner. That topic has been my most requested seminar and a popular chapter in my book, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling. I’ve long wanted to develop resources that would help moms accomplish that goal. I’m grateful that Apologia is giving me the opportunity to do just than.
when are we able to order these?
CBD is taking orders now. I don’t want to take orders here until I have a firm delivery date.
Looks fabulous so far, but I would love to see more of what a week looks like. None of my planners so far seem to have enough room for everything and I am only schooling 3 children right now. Having one for my high schooler would be great if I can get away with only writing everything down once.
Bonnie,
We gave you as much room as possible on an 8 1/2 by 11″ size page. I also suggest creating a coding system; such as, abbreviations for school subjects, texts you use regularly, and your kids names – that’s one way I could get more information in each block. Kids record their work for the week in their own planners during their weekly meetings with mom. That should eliminate the need for you to write down work more than once. At least at my house, my kids recorded more detail in their planners, and I just had brief notes that I understood.
The latest I have from Apologia is all the planners may be in the warehouse by the end of the month!
Debra you say CBD is taking orders now, what is CBD?
CBD stands for Christian Book Distributors. The website is christianbook.com
Christian Book Distributors …www.cbd.com – a great place to find all kinds of stuff!
CBD is Christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors).
I cannot believe it! This is what I have been looking for, for years!!!!!!!!!! I will be so glad when it is out I am ready to get started.
When will we get a “sneak peek” at the student planners? The mom one looks great!
Jennifer,
Thanks for asking — I am going to put a sample up as soon as I have permission and a final draft. We are working on this right now – nonstop.
WOW!!! This looks amazing! My heart and mind are running with ideas just from looking at the sample …
Debra – I placed and order from CBD for the planner and the student planner and have watched the estimated ship time for from 8/7 to 8/14 and now its 8/22. Do you know when the product will actually be available and shipped?
Thank you so much!
Erica,
I know Apologia is in regular contact with the production company, and last week the final binding was pushed back. The covers are complicated. They are a special material — almost plastic for durability, and they include pockets front and back.
I’ve been told the Mom’s planner will ship in August, but the student planners may not be available until early September.
Thank you for letting me know. We’ll make things work until then : )
So sorry, but I want this so badly and now it is backordered till August 30. I know you must be frustrated as well, but I am not sure how long I can do without a planner of some sort. I thought it would be easier, but I am finding I am not as flexible as I had hoped.
I am a 1st time homeschool mom this year, and we are starting at 7th grade….yikes I know!
These look to be very helpful…:)
The student planners are graded 4th-8th and 7th-12th…they overlap in grade, How would I know which one is best?
I recommend using the student planner with a 7th grader, especially if your child isn’t managing his/her time yet. The purpose of the student planner is to gentle guide your child toward independence. The teen planner assumes kids are ready to be in charge of their learning.
I am giddy to get my hands on mine! I after reading this, I know I need to stop hounding the mail lady! Thank you for this!
Hi Debra -
We are missionaries in Honduras and school all year in anticipation for our 6-week furlough each year. Is the planner customizable in that way? After looking over the sample, it looks very attractive to me. I will follow your twitter, etc. in hopes of winning one of your giveaways
.
Many blessings to you on your hard work for us homeschooling mommies…
Laura
Yes, we believe we made it as customizable as possible — and a group of missionaries in Eastern Europe helped us accomplish just that. It is a 48 week planner – we hope that works. If we had added any more weeks we were afraid it would be too thick. It also accommodates up to 6 students. We also made sure moms had as much room on the page to write as possible – we put all the fun stuff in the margins.
I’m looking to buy all three planners, but can’t seem to find the student ones. Do you know where they are available to purchase.
Thank you!
Oh, I found the teen one on CBD but that it is a preorder. Such a bummer to get it so late in the game. I will definitely will purchase them for the next school year.
I’ve been told the teen planner just printed, and the student one should follow shortly. I’m suppose to have both this month sometime to take with me to a conference in Europe.
Bought the planner for mom and 3 student planners this weekend at a homeschool conference. I’m looking forward to using them this coming school year…it’ll be my first year homeschooling and I know we’ll be organized and ready to go!
I’m loving my planner! I’m not using it to it’s full capacity yet, but it has so much potential. I have especially enjoyed looking back at some of the family victories and small progresses made over the year.
My question is how do I access a sample of the student and teen planner? I am unable to find it on the product listing at Apologia’s website.
I won your planner on a facebook party through Apologia. I LOVE THIS PLANNER!! I fall more and more in love with it the longer I use it. I blogged about it http://crazyhomedaze.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-of-ultimate-homeschool-planner.html
and talk about it constantly. Thank you so much for making this planner. It is just what I needed.
Hi!
Love….love your planner – I will be ordering it today!
Have you or would you consider making one for the man of the house in mind. I think the format is great! But the cover is a little to feminine for my man =0)
thanks!
Alethea