If you are here, it’s because you believe that planning is a good idea. But sometimes knowing that something is true is very different from knowing why it is true. And it’s much harder to stay motivated to plan — especially during the challenging times — if you don’t know the why planning is critical.

Why don’t we take a closer look at three reasons why planning is so important?

Planning is Critical Because it Keeps You on Track

I’ve been in the homeschool community for most of my life, as a student, as a homeschool teacher, and as a veteran trying to encourage other homeschool teachers along the way.

Pretty much without fail, the homeschool families that truly succeed in sticking with homeschooling and in providing their children with a quality education are those who not only understand that planning is critical but also are diligent to follow through and create a plan.

Without a plan, it’s far too easy to turn one missed day into two missed weeks. It’s also far too easy to let a small missed concept turn into a huge educational gap.

With a plan, though, you are able to hop back on track even if you miss a day. And with a plan, you build in time for regular assessment, helping you catch gaps and struggles as you go along. All of these add up to a successful school year.

Planning doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and it’s okay to need help. That’s why it’s so important to have the support of a homeschool community — you can get the help you need along the way! Ultimately, though, it’s important to realize that, whether it comes naturally to you or not, planning really is critical for homeschool success.

Planning is Critical Because it Limits the Chaos

Some people love a planned life while others thrive on spontaneity. We’re all different, and that’s a good thing!

But when it comes to your children’s education, unfettered spontaneity can cause major problems. Like it or not, there are certain things your child needs to know in order to become a functional adult.

Reading, math, and communication skills are critical, and those are embodied in the language arts and math milestones that are laid out for each grade. Yes, even algebra has practical, real-life application! And, without a solid foundation in history, science, and math, it’s hard to be wise about anything from processing the medical advice doctors hand out to participation in political discussions.

This means that your child needs a structured education. And a structured education means that you have to build a framework that limits chaos. And planning is critical for the construction of that framework.

If you like spontaneity, building that framework doesn’t sound like fun. But here’s the good news. When you have a framework that allows you to provide structured education to your student, you also find increased freedom for spontaneity because you know you have time for it — while still keeping up with the solid academic foundations.

Planning is the critical component to controlling the chaos, building a solid framework for academic success, and still maintaining time for spontaneity.

Don’t believe me? Just give it a try for a couple of months. Grab your Well Planned Day planner, make a plan each week, and see if you don’t find yourself free to provide a solid education while also leaving some good wiggle room in place for spur-of-the-moment fun.

Planning is Critical Because it Provides a Reward for Your Hard Work

Planning is a lot of work. I’ll admit it. But did you know there’s reward in it, too?

As you look back over each week, you’re going to see a lot of accomplishment. You’ll recognize just how much you and your student have gotten done. You’ll see where they’ve progressed and blossomed.

It gets even more fun when you share this progress with your student! Many times, they only see the day to day. The struggles stand out strongly to them, and they don’t realize how far they’ve come.

There’s nothing quite like the look on a child’s face when they realize just how much they’ve accomplished! And, you can show them this as you pick up your planner and walk with them through the assignments they’ve completed, the notes you’ve taken, grades you’ve entered, and successes you’ve recorded.

Maybe you can even celebrate with an ice cream cone or a batch of homemade cookies!

But, you can’t do any of this if you haven’t first created a plan. It’s clear to see why planning is critical even for the rewards.

So grab your planner, start planning, and join in on the amazing rewards that come when you can look back and tangibly see all that you’ve accomplished!