Question on use of the teacher manuals

[amck1992]

I'm curious if anyone writes in the teacher manuals for any given level. I would feel much more organized if I checked each box off after completing, especially because I'll be working with 2 manuals. If I do this, I will feel compelled to purchase a new manual to use when the younger kids get to that particular level. I'm curious if the manuals get updated every so often so I can justify buying a new one for each kid. Even if they don't get updated I can't get passed thinking that the checks will be so much easier on me.

What have others done?

Thanks,
Ann

[crlacey]

I am using purple check marks for my DD and will use a boy color when my son gets there. I too was afraid to write in my manuals for awhile. But once you do it, it makes keeping track of things so much easier.

[Daisy]

I'm one of those folks who just doesn't resell curriculum.. I just jump into them and use them HARD. I can't help myself. I'm a note-taker, list-maker, etc. I'll actually like my TM better by the time the second child uses it because I'll put in reminders, library books we read, videos we watched, etc. LOL. I know not everyone has the luxury of doing that but I'm the same way with my Bible. Highlight, write in the margins, spread my thoughts around, until the book falls apart.

[eazbnsmom]

I write in my manuals because I have 5 children (and my sister is borrowing my LHFHG this year to try it) and I will not be reselling them at the end of the year. I usually write the date and check of the boxes we did. If we substituted something, then I try to write that in the box. I usually do this in pencil though so I can erase (which you can do if you are going to resell it, some people don't mind pencil markings that are easily erased) or I may end up color coding for each child (yes my children are color coded).


**EDIT** Probably the only reason I write in my manuals is because at the end of the year I have to submit to the school district a copy/lesson plan of what we did during the year. This helps me to keep track!

[Momtoamayalilal2]

Normally I don't write in my manuals, but since I plan on using HOD with up and coming children, I will probably make it easier on myself and just write in them I don't plan on reselling my HOD stuff anyways...so it should be easy right? LOL I am gonna see that crisp , clean CTC manual and have a really, really hard time writing in it though I may need to see evidence of everyone else doing it before I will Maybe you all can post pics for me?

[zookeeperof3monkeys]

You people write in BOOKS! That's a sacrilege in my little world! HIghlight and write in the Holy Bible I might faint...quick, give me the smelling salts. I have two words...STICKY NOTES..There I'm done having a stroke now. I really am a Liberal, so I say.. To each their own!!! Just don't do it in my books LOL I bought my 2 yr old's LHTH Bible and Devotion used because I knew he would "decorate' them in crayon...I still almost cried when he did it!

[AnaDawson]

Pencil is great for those of us who like to write in books, but also cringe at the thought of it. I did it last year when we homeschooled for a short while. I was able to erase my pencil marks at the end of the day without messing up the pages. Just invest in a good eraser.

Blessings,

Ana Dawson

[beandip71]

For some reason I have an aversion to writing in my manuals. I just can't bring myself to do it. I use little sticky notes to mark our spot and to easily find what I need in the appendix.

[rainbowacreshs]

This will be our first year using HOD so I have no clue how'll handle the manual when it gets here.
However I am one of those who write in her Bible. For me, it makes my Bible very personal, as there are times I jot notes, prayer, praises and dates beside verses or passages. Its really neat for me that there are times I'll come back to a particular passage and see the notes or a prayer and be able to see how my life has changed/grown from that time. Its almost like the ole pencil marks on the wall to show how much you've grown over the year.
Now as far as school books go.... I mostly don't like to write in my books or allow for my oldest dd to write in them. If I am going to sell them or reuse them later I would perfer them to be as clean as possible (perhaps thats old public school teaching lol cuz you would get fined for any marks or damage to the books at the end of the year).
We live in SC and its one of those states that has min requirements to homeschooling, and at best maybe a bit vague on the exact componments of a portfolio. I keep a separate notebook with dd's homeschool reg, list of curriculum, attendance and weekly lesson plan sheets. On the weekly plans sheets I usually just put reference pgs to what we are teaching that day and which book its coming from. This year I am hoping to utilize my digital camera a bit more and start adding photos of our projects that we do to the notebook.
At the end of our school year I add the notebook along with choice pieces of work, ie., lap books, art work, selected writings (some finished pieces and some with rough drafts to show progression) and math tests, and file them in the dust collecting box beneath my bed.

[butterfly113]

I second Daisy's reply! I write all over them. In fact each page has several notes, and the extension books reading for each day already marked in them. I have also included which Singapore lesson and pages in the daily math boxes. All this and we haven't even started the year yet! TWO MORE WEEKS! We are so excited! And my Bible, same thing! We are all different. Do what works best for you and your kiddos! Small checks and Erasers are good, or make yourself a daily assignment list. Then put it in a page protector and mark that. List the boxes on your write board... That's the freedom of homeschooling! Have fun with it!

[water2wine]

I also write all over them. I will be using them all but one twice. I don't plan on selling them. My kids have made me promise I will save them so they can use the same manuals with their kids. Well if they do then they will have to put up with all my marks. I mostly just check things off to tell the truth. Only time there are notes are if I am linking something I have on the shelf to HOD.

[Carrie]

This one is a fun topic, so I thought I'd link a thread in a similar vein from awhile ago that you may enjoy reading too: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=366

Blessings,
Carrie

[LAF512]

I personally don't like to write in my manuals either. I made a checklist in Excel that I printed off and check off each day when we complete a box. I use sticky notes for any further notes I need for each day. I like my checklist because we tend to do more than one lesson in math a day so then I can see at a glance with unit/day we are on since it doesn't match up to the rest of the boxes.

[sharonb]

We have completed 2 units of Beyond, and while it does seem like it would be easier to check things off in the manual, I haven't been able to bring myself to make even a single mark. Instead I'm keeping track of what we've done in a composition book (I also use it to write down library books we've read, field trips, etc).

[gmhaynes]

This is our first year of homeschooling and I got a great checklist from my pastor's wife that she used when she homeschooled. I don't think HOD had been published yet but I just adjusted hers to fit our schedule and curriculum. I put check boxes beside everything and then check it off each day. We do four days per week but I have five days listed. I have written some notes in the manuals that I might use with the next 2 children but I wanted to make sure I didn't get confused later on with all the check marks. We also have to keep a portfolio for our county so I put this in a binder with each week's completed work behind it. Then I just put a new sheet on top each week so the current week is always at the front.

I would be happy to email it to anyone that might want it for their own record keeping.

In His Name,
Mary
maryehaynes@bellsouth.net