It’s obvious we’re not the same, you and me. We have different kids, different lives, we probably even live in different cities. This is also why we might want different planners to help us in our homeschool.
Because of all this, I know that I can’t just make one planner. Footpath Homeschool Planners should be for more than people who think just like me. So I’ve created several versions, so hopefully there is something almost everyone will like!
But when you have lots of options, you also have to make decisions. And it’s because of this decision making process that I am writing this post today.
How do you know which option in the Footpath Homeschool line is right for you?
Types of books & planners
The Footpath Homeschool line of books and planners is designed for all styles of homeschoolers. There are tools for every part of your planning, tracking, and record-keeping process. And more to come!
- Planners – For organizing your homeschool life from start to finish.
- Record Keepers – For tracking what’s been done.
- Planning books – For advance homeschool planning.
- Choosing curriculum guides – A deep dive into choosing the right curriculum for your family.
Homeschool Planners: Which one fits your style?
If you’re on the lookout for a homeschool planner to help you through your homeschool year, there is a Footpath Homeschool Planner that will work for you. Each planner has been thoughtfully designed with your unique needs in mind. No cookie cutter planners here!
All planners are available in digital and print versions!
- Dated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner – Best for those who prefer structured, pre-dated layouts.
- Fully dated 12 month planner with a July start. Includes a front section with 40+ unique planning pages. Extensive review pages – monthly, mid-year, and annual – are also included. Sunday start on the monthly calendar and weekly spreads.
- Undated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner – Great for flexibility, no wasted pages.
- Completely undated 12 month planner. Includes a front section with 40+ unique planning pages. Extensive review pages – monthly, mid-year, and annual – are also included. Sunday start on the monthly calendar, but weekly spreads are unlabeled.
- Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner – Simple, uncluttered layout for streamlined planning.
- Completely undated 12 month planner. I have included only what I consider to be the bare minimum planning and review pages. This version includes different layouts for the weekly spreads than the other planners. Sunday start on the monthly calendar, but Monday start on the weekly spreads.
- Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner – A straightforward approach for those who want less detail in a dated layout.
- Fully dated 12 month planner with a July start. I have included only what I consider to be the bare minimum planning and review pages. Sunday start on the monthly calendar and weekly spreads.
- Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner – Ideal for planning in shorter increments.
- Undated 3 month planner you can start using at any point in the year. Includes a basic planning section for the next 3 month quarter. Followed by 3 undated monthly sections just like you find in the full version. Pair with the Annual Essentials Planner and Simple Record Keeper for annual planning and records to complete the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner – A flexible planner that’s easy to take with you.
- The modular planner includes six undated books, the equivalent to the Undated Footpath Homeschool Planner. With four Quarterly Planners at its core, plus the Annual Essentials and Simple Record Keeper, it provides everything you need for a full year—without the bulk.
- Footpath Homeschool Record Keeper – Super basic monthly tracking with essential record keeping.
- Not everyone wants or needs a big bulky planner, so in the Record Keeper, you can track the essentials each month alongside all the basic records you know you need. Fully undated.
Here’s a comparison chart with more info on all the basics:
| Dated full | Undated Full | Simplified dated | Minimal undated | Quarterly | Full Modular with quarterly | Full record keeper | |
| Price | $ 39.00 | $ 39.00 | $ 32.00 | $ 32.00 | $ 11.00 | $ 49.00 | $ 23.00 |
| Dated/ undated | Dated | Undated | Dated | Undated | Undated | Undated | Undated |
| Pages | 308 | 302 | 230 | 224 | 76 | 412 (6 books) | 98 |
| Months included | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 12 (3×4) | 12 |
| Booklists | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Attendance | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Plan Curriculum | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included | not included | not included | ✔️ | not included |
| Term milestones | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included | not included | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Monthly calendars | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included |
| Weekly spreads | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | unique | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included |
| Quarter overview | not included | not included | not included | not included | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included |
| Monthly overview | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Monthly review | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included | not included | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included |
| Finish Strong | ✔️ | ✔️ | not included | not included | not included | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Mid-year and annual review | ✔️ | ✔️ | Simple | Simple | not included | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Full or essentials only | full | full | essentials | essentials | essentials | full | record essentials |
| Size | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) | 5.83 x 8.27 in. (A5 size) | 5.83 x 8.27 in. (A5 size) | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) |
Record Keepers: Tracking progress & records
Planners aren’t for everyone, but as homeschoolers, it’s always good to keep a record of your kids’ progress throughout the year. With the Footpath Homeschool Record Keepers, you can easily ensure you have all your bases covered. These will help you document the essentials for your transcripts, portfolios, or personal records.
Both options are available in digital and print versions!
- Footpath Homeschool Record Keeper – Super basic monthly tracking with essential record keeping.
- Not everyone wants or needs a big bulky planner, so in the Record Keeper, you can track the basics of what you do each month alongside all the essential records you know you need. Fully undated.
- Simple Footpath Homeschool Record Keeper – Just the record keeping essentials.
- Ensure all your essential homeschool records are in one place, with space for achievements, attendance, grades, and more. This book is a part of the Modular planning system. These pages are also included in the full versions of the Footpath Homeschool Planner.
Here’s a simple comparison chart of the two record keeper versions:
| Full record keeper | Simple Record Keeper | |
| Price | $ 23.00 | $ 10.00 |
| Dated/undated | Undated | Undated |
| Pages | 98 | 56 |
| Months included | 12 | not included |
| Booklists | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Attendance | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Plan curriculum | not included | not included |
| Term milestones | ✔️ | not included |
| Monthly calendars | not included | not included |
| Weekly spreads | not included | not included |
| Quarter overview | not included | not included |
| Monthly overview | ✔️ | not included |
| Monthly review | not included | not included |
| Finish Strong | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Mid-year and annual review | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Full or essentials only | Full | Essentials |
| Size | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) | 5.83 x 8.27 in. (A5 size) |
Planning Books: Laying the foundation for your homeschool year
So much of the prep work for homeschooling can be done in advance. With these books, you won’t be writing out what you will do each day on your planner, but instead planning out the big picture – like books, curriculum, classes, routines, supplies, and schedules. With this info you can then create a more specific plan for your year with a seperate planner.
Both options are available in digital and print versions!
- Homeschool Luminary Guidebook – A workbook with step-by-step guidance to plan your year in advance.
- An in-depth guide for choosing curriculum, working out a schedule and daily routine, and even organizing all your stuff. Create a thorough plan for your year. Combine with a planner or record-keeper to track what you do each day.
- Footpath Homeschool Planner Annual Essentials – The essentials for creating your homeschool plans in advance.
- Focus on your year as a whole, including curriculum choices, daily schedules, and educational goals. Includes only the essential annual planning pages you need—no fluff, record-keeping, or daily tracking. These pages are also included in the Full versions of the Footpath Homeschool Planner.
Wonder what some of the big differences are? Check out this comparison chart:
| Annual Essentials | Luminary | |
| Price | $ 10.00 | $ 23.00 |
| Dated/undated | Undated | Undated |
| Pages | 52 | 93 |
| Months included | none | none |
| Booklists | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Attendance | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Plan curriculum | Simple | ✔️ |
| Term milestones | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Monthly/weekly calendars | not included | not included |
| Plan resources | Simple | ✔️ |
| Rhythms and routines | Simple | ✔️ |
| Evaluation and goals | Simple | ✔️ |
| Organization | not included | ✔️ |
| Mid year and annual review | not included | not included |
| Full or essentials | Essentials | Full |
| Size | 5.83 x 8.27 in. (A5 size) | 7.44 x 9.68 in. (crown quarto size) |
Special choosing curriculum set
If the world of homeschool curriculum is overwhelming to you, or you just want a straightforward way to choose what will work best for your family, then this book set is what you need. A practical book and workbook set, From Chaos to Curriculum will finally help you understand your options so you can make an informed curriculum choice for your family.
All options are available in digital and print versions!
- From Chaos to Curriculum – Choose and source homeschool curriculum for your unique family.
- This book will help you finally understand the world of homeschool curriculum. Learn about homeschooling terminology, think through everything you should consider in your choices, get resource recommendations, and find the best places to buy. Steps for choosing curriculum for your family’s unique needs are also included!
- From Chaos to Curriculum Workbook – A workbook to help you choose and source homeschool curriculum.
- This workbook is a companion for the book above. Packed with practical worksheets and guided prompts to walk you through everything outlined in the book, this workbook helps you to make confident decisions tailored to your family’s unique educational needs.
How to choose: A quick decision guide
With so many options to choose from, you may still want a breakdown of everything to help you choose. So let’s start narrowing it down by choosing the category of book or planner you need.
All options are available in digital and print versions!
Step 1: Choose Your Category
- Do you want daily help with planning, tracking, and organization? → Choose a planner
- Do you need to keep records of what you’ve done for portfolios or transcripts? → Choose a record keeper or full planner
- Are you looking for a system to map out your homeschool year in advance? → Choose a planning guide or full planner
- Do you need help deciding which curriculum to use? → Choose the choosing curriculum set
- Is a regular planner too much for you but you need basic tracking? → Choose a record keeper
- Do you want to finally understand all your curriculum options? → Choose the choosing curriculum set
- Do you want to get everything organized for the year before you start? → Choose a planning guide
- Do you need a tool for lesson planning, schedules, and routines? → Choose a planner
- Do you need a way to document your homeschool journey? → Choose a record keeper
- Do you need a big-picture plan for your homeschool year? → Choose a planning guide
- Do you need a structured system for selecting curriculum? → Choose the choosing curriculum set
Step 2: Find your perfect fit
Now that you know what type of book you may need, use this next section to find your perfect fit within the category.
Planning Guides
- I want a thorough guide to help me plan out my year in advance. → Choose the Homeschool Luminary Guidebook
- I want just the essentials to plan out my year in advance. → Choose the Footpath Homeschool Annual Essentials
- This book can be used as part of the Full Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- All pages in this book are also included in the Full Versions of the Footpath Homeschool Planner.
Record Keepers
- I want a basic way to track our monthly learning along with all the essential record keeping. → Get the Footpath Homeschool Record K.eeper
- I want all the record keeping pages without the the rest of a planner. → Try the Simple Footpath Homeschool Record K.eeper
- This book can be used as part of the Full Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- All pages in this book are also included in the Full Versions of the Footpath Homeschool Planner.
Choosing Curriculum set
- I need guidance on selecting curriculum with planning worksheets. → Get From Chaos to Curriculum
- I want a workbook to go along with the guide for deeper planning. → Get From Chaos to Curriculum Workbook
- I want both the book and workbook to choose our curriculum. → Get From Chaos to Curriculum bundle
Planners
- Most planners are too bulky for me. → Try the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner with seperate books for each section.
- I want to plan for shorter amounts of time. → Get the Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I want a dated planner. → Look into the Dated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner or the Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- Undated planners are best for me. → Get the Undated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner, the Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- There are usually too many unused pages in my planner. → Check out the Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner, Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I only want the basic pages for planning. → Check out the Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner, Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I want all the record keeping pages in my planner. → Look into the Dated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner, the Undated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I don’t want many pages for monthly and annual reviews. → Check out the Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner, Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Quarterly Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I like having plenty of pages to evaluate and review my year. → Look into the Dated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner, the Undated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner, or the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner.
- I want to pick and choose the sections of my planner. → Try the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner with seperate books for each section.
WIth so many planner options, perhaps this quiz will help:
- Do you want extensive planning and review pages or just the essential planning pages?
- Extensive, continue to question 2.
- Essential, skip to question 7.
- Do you prefer a dated planner or undated?
- Dated, continue to question 3.
- Undated, skip to question 4.
- You should check out the 25-26 Dated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner. Do you want it as a coil-bound planner, paperback planner, or a PDF planner you can download today?
- Do you prefer a single all-in-one planner or a set of six smaller books for easier portability?
- All-in-one, continue to question 5.
- Set of six, skip to question 6.
- You should check out the Undated Full Footpath Homeschool Planner. Do you want it as a coil-bound planner, paperback planner, or a PDF planner you can download today?
- You should check out the Modular Footpath Homeschool Planner with the Quarterly Planner. Do you want it as a paperback planner, or a PDF planner you can download today?
- Do you prefer a dated planner or undated?
- Dated, continue to question 8.
- Undated, skip to question 9.
- You should check out the 25-26 Simplified Footpath Homeschool Planner. Do you want it as a coil-bound planner, paperback planner, or a PDF planner you can download today?
- You should check out the Minimal Footpath Homeschool Planner. Do you want it as a coil-bound planner, paperback planner, or a PDF planner you can download today?
Final thoughts
Choosing the right homeschool planner, record keeper, or planning guide depends on your unique homeschooling style and needs. Whether you need a daily planner to stay on track, a record keeper to document your child’s progress, or a planning guide to map out your homeschool year, the Footpath Homeschool line has an option that will fit your needs.
Think about how you plan, track, and organize your homeschool and you can find the perfect tool to make your journey smoother and more enjoyable.
If you’re still unsure which one is the best fit for your family, take another look at the decision guide or reach out—I’d love to help you find the right match!
