Laying Out the Year I

School planning continues, in bits and pieces.  The milder weather has meant more time outside, quieter afternoons, and more consistent naps for Laurel.  This is my best time to really get something done, after a little bit of rest.  I like to hear what other people are planning and how they do it, so I thought I would record how I have done things this year and the others.

With Enki kindergarten, I simply selected the stories I wanted to use and constructed circle times out of the sections in the notebooks.  I then compiled them in a small binder, changing things out once a month or so.  This worked well and I've continued with this method.  I used simple planning pages from Seasons of Joy to give a picture of each month, along with any outside plans we might have had.

With Enki grade one, I used the Christopherus planner.  It comes with a lot of bells and whistles, like monthly articles and thought-provoking self-assessments, though I found myself  just using the weekly pages after a short time.  I planned the year a few months at a time, which was not the best idea.  Weaving things together the Enki way was new and overwhelming for awhile.  There were many pieces to the puzzle and many places to look for them.  The materials and stories work well for Willow, though, and there were plenty of resources for learning the new skills I needed.

Last year, I planned using a simple free square blank notebook.  In it, I put the verses we used over the year, along with the block rotation I planned for Enki grade two.  I recorded the practice rotations for Willow.  I also wrote down each of the stories I chose for Roan's kindergarten year.  I laid out each month, along with the movement choices I made.  I filled in information of how I thought each circle went over, along with our moods and how the children handled the materials.  It worked very well and I referred to my little notebook often.

Using two new curriculum choices this year, I am approaching planning a little differently.  I'm still using the blank book, as I really liked the freedom, and I still made a basic map of the year.  Lavender's Blue and Christopherus both lay out the blocks for you, including all the extra games, practice, review, and activities you should do.  Enki didn't do this so directly, as wonderful as it was, so it is handy to find it all on one page, instead of scattered over numerous notebooks.

I've listed the start date for each block for each child, along with making a more detailed list of what each block will cover.  This is in the big binders, but it is a help to me to see it all in my little notebook and to actually write it down.  I feel like I take hold of things better when I duplicate it and make my own notes.  I'm at the point now of looking at each month more closely and making calendar pages. I'm still considering whether I want to put in the days or to just have it by the week.  Maybe I could devote half a page to each week of the school year (34-36).

I'd love to write more about the upcoming year, especially the materials I hope to use.  It  feels like I take hold of the ideas more with each passing school year.  I guess I am learning the job and finding my own way. I have a really good feeling about things and I hope I can work it all out.  Well, it's time to enjoy the Autumnal weather we're having this weekend.

Happy Saturday!