Homeschool Lesson Plans - Organize Your School

Homeschool lesson plans are a guide that can keep up on track. They can provide structure to our teaching style. Lesson plans can be just a simple list of items that need to be accomplished or more complex.

The Benefits

Homeschool lesson plans help us keep organized. I can see at a glance what has been done and what needs to be done.

Lesson plans can help make your children more independent. When you give your child a plan he knows what is expected of him. If your children can read they can do most of the assignment themselves.

Lesson plans can save you time. When you write down library books and supplies you can go before you need the items.

How to Make Homeschool Lesson Plans

There are different ways to make a plan. I like to begin to plan after I have received my new books. I look at the book to see if I want to cover everything during the year. I then divide the chapters into 180 days 36 weeks or 9 months. Some books are easy in that they only have nine chapters. With other books you will need to divide the chapters by weeks of school.

On your lesson plans write down goals. What do you want to teach you child in Language Arts, Math, Science, or History? How do you want to evaluate you child to see if he learned the information.

Then think about how you want to present the information. Do you want to do a hands-on project, read a book, or go on a field trip?

On your form write down any reference materials that you will need. Include library books and supplies that you will need to buy.

Review your plan before you teach so that you can gather the needed supplies.

Some Examples

Lesson plans look something like a day planner. Here are two examples:

Date:	Bible	Social Studies	Science	Language Arts	Math
Passage or Page to cover
Lesson goal
Activity
Books needed

Another Example

Date	Child	Child	Child	Child
Bible
Language Arts
Math
History
Science
Art
Music
Other

You can download myhomeschool lesson plans here.

A textbook Plan

If you are using textbooks you would simply list the pages to be covered. If there is a hands-on activity or field trip make a note on you plan sheet. If you want to supplement your lesson with other books, write the books down. Also make a note if you need to go to the library for the book.

A unit Study Plan

If you are doing a unit study your plan will be more detailed. I write down plans for each subject. For language arts I need to write down vocabulary and spelling words. I also need to make a notation of the writing assignments that I want my children to do.

Under history and science I list the pages of reference books that I want my children to look at. I also note any hands-on projects that I plan to do. I also need to list the supplies that I need.

On both the textbook plan and the unit study plan you will need to write down how you will evaluate your child. Textbooks usually have tests. If you do not use textbooks you will need some way of knowing that your child understood the material. It can be as simple as having your child telling you what he learned orally. Another way is for him to write an essay. Or you can make up your own test.

Some Considerations

When you are making homeschool lesson plans focus on your child. Think about what he already knows. If he already knows something you do not have to teach it again just because it is in the curriculum. Focus on the lessons that he has difficulty with or has not yet learned. Also don't make the lesson too hard or too easy for him.

Lesson plans are just a guide. They can be changed and modified. You should review your plan throughout the year. Maybe one unit is interesting to your child and should be studied longer than you had planned. In another subject your child learned the material quickly and does not need to do all of the review questions. Modify the lesson plan to fit your child.

Remember to plan for interruptions. During the school year there are times when we or our children are ill. Other times we hear of an educational or service opportunity. Remember not to make your plan so rigid that you do not have time to do what God has planned for you to do. Don't plan every 15 minutes or every hour. That kind of plan works in the school setting but not at home. Being a homeschool family there are so many unplanned learning experiences that can benefit our children and others.

If you have older children get them involved in making homeschool lesson plans. Let them determine how they plan to finish the book and learn the material.

Buying

I have to admit that I do not like to make my own homeschool lesson plans. Planning does take a lot of time. So when I saw that the Weaver had a lesson plan I bought it. I used their plan for many years.

Look to see if your curriculum has lesson plans that you can buy. They can save a lot of time are worth the money.

This year make or buy some homeschool lesson plans to keep you organized and focused.