Homeschool Planet (Online Homeschool Planner) Review
Homeschool Buyers Co-op is a homeschool online discount curriculum store! I love finding good deals there! They are homeschoolers themselves and dedicated to finding good resources for homeschooling families. They saw the need for a homeschool planner that was thorough, but where you didn’t pull your hair out using it. So, they developed an online, mobile-friendly planner called Homeschool Planet. I was given a year’s subscription for the purpose of this review, and I look forward to using it to help keep us on point. Like a lot of homeschooling moms, I juggle a lot, and I’d like to use this program for some built-in accountability for getting all our lessons done!
Homeschool Planet is robust, and also easy to use! When we lived in Missouri and I had to track our homeschool hours, I searched and searched for an easy online planner. I finally ended up trying to use a paper method that was laborious at best. Homeschool Planet fits the bill for me! I can easily track time spent on individual assignments, or on each class. The flexibility is awesome – I can tweak it to exactly what I need.
Within this planner, I not only track schoolwork, but I can also assign and record chores and appointments. I can even keep track of my “to-do’s” and and my shopping list! I can set the program to send me (and anyone else I want) a Daily Digest listing assignments, upcoming appointments, chores, and the like. It’s perfect to use to keep my hubby in the loop about what we’re doing (if he would check his email. <G>) One of my favorite features is the ability to import his Google Calendar, and integrate it into Homeschool Planet. I can also select portions of Homeschool Planet to display within his Google Calendar. Consolidation at its best.
I can also assign each person a login, so, for example, when Super D logs in, he can see his assignments but not be overwhelmed by the entire family schedule. I can have a group calendar, and calendars that are specific to each person in my family.
First, I set up my school year, specifying which days we are going to do school. Then, I set up individual subjects and assignments. I can also make assignments specific to one or more kids. That works out great when my oldest two are doing similar work (like practicing their Classical Conversations memory work!)
Calendar View
Planner View
Homeschool Planet offers lots of options for grading as well. I can grade classes like Spelling, Handwriting, and Reading independently, or group them together under Language Arts. Or, I don’t have to grade them at all!
There are a plethora of options under the Reports tab too. I can print a list of assignments, class notes, grades, class hours, and even transcripts. I love how it simplifies reporting for states, and for college needs. Parents can name the school, use the program to track grades throughout the year, and their transcript is ready to go!
Homeschool Planet even offers some fun customization – you can pick a theme to add some color. Of course, I picked the purple stylized horses. It also has a quick link so I can create a mobile link without having to know special tricks. 🙂
If you’d like to give Homeschool Planet a try, Homeschool Buyer’s Co-op is offering a 30 day free trial, no credit card required! Give it a whirl, and see if it simplifies your homeschool life! Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!
