Little Homeschool on the Prairie: Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year Review

The Old Schoolhouse ® has released their Hey, Mama!Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year created by Gena Suarez.

I don’t know about you but having a good planner is an essential part of my homeschool. Currently they have sold close to 98% of the current planner, and there are no plans to print anymore until next year. With that being said I’m not the only one who values a good planner. Don’t wait to pick up your planner.

I’m a pretty organized person when it comes to my homeschool. I really credit that to a good school planner. If you have never used a planner I highly recommend using one.

First off the cover is lovely with a whimsical watercolor of flower blossoms. I prefer pretty over the basic plain planners. Honestly, homeschool record keeping can put a frown on my face and having something pretty makes me feel better.

The planner has 188 pages. The best part is that it is a spiral binding makes the planner lay out flat and in turn it makes writing in it easy.

It starts out with a Table of Contents which isn’t a common thing in planners. I like that it makes flipping to certain place in the planner is an ease because of the Table of Contents. If I need to flip to a certain child or look back at a month I can locate it quickly.

After I flip to the next page the “Creating an Academic Transcript.” It gives you a brief overview of keeping transcripts. There is a tidbit about what to include in your transcripts, giving credit, how to give a final grade, and what cumulative grades is, and who signs the student’s academic transcript.

Academic Transcripts

Next there is a blank Academic Transcript. You can add you data into this and transfer at the end of the year your information to your official transcripts.

Checklist and Skills Learned

Checklist and Skills Learned there is only one to use with a child. It's broken down to document courses studied and four weeks to check off. Underneath it it has a few more courses to write down except this isn't set up like a spread sheet. I'm thinking this would be good for unit studies and such. It's adaptable to use with more children.

Other courses

Another feature is a chart called Other Courses. It’s laid out like a spread sheet that has a space for you to record your courses and then thirty-one boxes to check or write a date in it.

2019, 2020, 2021 Yearly Calendar overview

The next page has Yearly calendars for 2019, 2020, 2021. I like having this as a planning tool to see an overview of the upcoming years with planning.

I have already added a few notes for the month of July

Then you get into the monthly calendar, which starts with July 2019 and ends with June 2020. The monthly calendar is spread out on two pages. I love that it has a lot of space for each day to write in! Off on the left side there is a larger margin for more notes!

Devotional for December on Joy, and an area for notes

Each month starts out with the Hey, Mama! devotionals on your right side. Off to the left is a space for notes for the month. It has ample space to write down whatever you need too. Whether it be notes about a student struggling with a topic or thoughts that just popped into your head.

Hey, Mama! Devotional

The devotionals are very practical from Gena Suarez and heartfelt. There are twenty-one Hey, Mama! Devotionals everything from fieldtrips, joy, fail days, and many other uplifting reminders as we push forward homeschooling are kiddos. They are a good reminder that it isn’t just us and that we all have doubts and troubles on this homeschool journey.

Attendance sheets for up to 5 children

Books Read This Year-there are 5 for using with 5 children

Write goals for 5 children

After you get past your monthly calendar there are thirty-six weekly calendars on a two page spread. You can record your school week at the top. Off on the left side is a place to write the date. There is a space to write out events for five children. Sprinkled throughout the weekly calendar you will also have Hey, Mama! Devotionals along with the page for your notes.

The last portion of the planner is for you to personalize up to five children’s school year. Each child has an area to write down notes, curriculum planning, attendance, a place to record books read during the year, goals for yearly, and goals for first and second semester.

How do I plan on using Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year?

I have to admit that I’m not there year with all my planning. We officially ended our school year last week. I need a bit of a breather before I think about next year. I have all our books for next year sitting on our shelves waiting to be used.

I have jotted down a few things already but, not much. In another month I plan on sitting down and getting myself organized. One feature I’m not good at is setting goals for my kiddos. I plan on taking advantage of this section and have my kids help with determining goals for the coming year.

This is the second time I have used this planner and I have to say that I absolutely love it. I love that a planner helps me feel not so stressed out and that our homeschool isn’t so chaotic.