UPDATE: When I started this blog, my homeschool kids were 5 and 7 (now those kiddos are GRADUATED and out of the house!). I have two more kids that are now 7 and 9, and we are beginning our KONOS journey over again! Yay! I’m reading my own blog for reminders. Strange how things circle back around!
NOTE: At the bottom, there’s a link to my planner page I created as a PDF, for those of you who have been asking me about it!
Now for the original post from August 2005:
I have had a lot of questions about Konos lately… so I thought I would do a timely post about how I do my planning. Planning is like anything else in life. It has to be learned. I say this because I have not only had to learn to plan, I’ve learned it the hard way. I am not one of those people that seem to have been born with a Day-Planner stapled to their body. I have struggled with trying to keep myself organized for most of my life. There are family members and friends who would tell you that I seem to have it all together… but my mom remembers the days when she would scream at me for leaving everything I owned at my friends’ or grandmas’ houses… she remembers the homework forgotten, and the trip to the office for forgetting every day for months to flip my lunch tag over in elementary…. the list goes on and on. My husband could also recount the (sad and pathetic) stories of forgotten purses, cell phones, and keys. I am organizationally challenged. I can admit it. So, this is an area that I constantly pray about, read about, and strive to perfect.
After three years of working with Konos, I have gone through many methods of planning. I have tried “winging it” (not a good idea – units seem to fizzle out and nothing gets done). I have tried being a “legalist” and strictly using the yellow pages in the volumes (didn’t work for me – I like to have some creative license, and I couldn’t stay exactly on schedule). I tried doing a co-op where more than one mom plans – so we do things together (very nice if you can find a family you click with well). And Finally, this year, we are using a new in-depth planning method that incorporates the “Control Journal” idea on Fly Lady’s website with the Konos lesson plan pages in the Volume books and more.
So, without further ado, here’s a peek at how I plan my units and year:
The Big Picture
First of all, the Konos Volumes 1-3 are for Kindergarten through 8th Grade. The price of all three (and all their accompanying charts, timeline characters, etc.) is so small when you consider that you only need to buy it ONE time for ALL your children! It is a wonderful curriculum to use when you are teaching more than one grade level at once. To get an idea of how you will plan the units out between Kindergarten and 8th Grade, you just sit down and make a master list of every unit, and how long the unit is suggested to be taught in (there used to be a list on the KONOS website, but it looks like they took it down when they updated).
I would suggest praying about what character traits you need to work on in our family, and asking God to guide you in your planning as you get your pencil ready. Then, make a pencil draft of how you want to teach the units (in whatever order you are led) over the next few years (until your child is ready to start 9th grade). There is a way to use KONOS in High School along side other curriculum and/or alone – but I did not do this with my older kids. You can learn more on their website about it if you are interested.
I would also highly recommend buying the Konos Compass. For me, this book is as important as the curriculum books itself. I know that many of us, out of cost-cutting measures will decline to purchase teacher’s manuals (I have done this often); but this is one book you WANT to have in your homeschool library! Reading through this each year before school starts has become a habit of mine that I don’t think I will break any time soon.
After you have a rough outline of your over-all plan for the units, you can focus on this year’s portion of your plan. Roughly outline the year’s units on a blank calendar (you can use this link or make your own in MS Word) to give yourself an idea of when you will be doing what units. Sometimes you will want a unit to be in the Spring (Plants) or Fall (Thanksgiving)… so you can see this better with a calendar open. You will also want to work around holidays, vacations, birthdays, and other known family events. This will help you to create not just a list of units, but an actual school calendar for the school year.
3-Ring School/Konos Planner
I am a binder nut. I have a Fly Lady Control Journal, and have loved it (when I can keep up with updating it). When my life is not turned upside down (moving tends to do this), it really helps me out. I tend to forget things less when I have them written down at my fingertips. I have managed to migrate from a personal planner to a school planner over the past year or so. I am still perfecting this process, so feel free to take the idea and run with it. Make it your own. Below are steps that I have taken to create a planner that fits my needs. You can add or delete from this list. I have written it to be a guide that empowers you and inspires you… not to make you feel as though you have to fit inside my little box. Don’t feel intimidated, but rather use my idea as a springboard, and implement only what fits for your own teaching style.
Take your Konos books to Kinko’s and have them cut the binding off and drill them (3-hole) for use in a spiral. Put them into 4 inch binders. Buy a 2 inch binder to carry around with you as a 3-Ring School/Konos Planner. Print off, copy, gather, or create the following items to include in your planner:
* Colored Pocket Dividers
* Blank Unit Planner Pages (Adobe munched up the file, but you get the picture. If you use my links and files, please consider leaving a tip in my tip jar to help cover expenses and time blogging… it would make my husband less grumpy about sharing me.)
* Your Konos Unit Schedule for the Current School Year
* The Local School District’s Calendar for the Current School Year
* Your Daily School Schedule (list what subjects you will accomplish, and in what order)
* List of your Rules for Good Behavior (rewards/punishments)
* Directory of Homeschool Vendors/Co-op Friends/E-Groups/Etc.
* General Goals/Yearly Goals (for you and your children)
* Book Lists (mainly from other sources besides Konos because the Konos book lists are in the Volumes, and there is a space to write them on your blank planner pages)
* Wish List (curriculum, games, books, and educational enrichment items you want)
* Field Trip Lists
* Forms (Grade Sheets, Report Cards, Subject and Chore Charts – whatever you use)
* Grade Level Checklist (you can find this in the Konos Compass)
* Monthly Calendar pages (blank for writing on – I print these from MS Word, or you can use the link above…)
* Time Savers/Home Management Tips and forms (Menu Planners and Daily Home Management Lists – I use a calendar for this purpose for myself now – fast forward to 2014 – in addition to my School Planner)
* Reference lists (I keep a Family Fun Craft reference list that I created from my magazines which I have bookmarked for future use and I keep a list of artists, composers, and historical periods just for kicks)
* Any lesson plans or forms you print from Homeschool Tracker (if you are a way-in-advance planner, in 2014 we planned ALL our history for the year with Mystery of History since we were using 2 volumes and I had all my days ready to go at a glance)
* A Daily Assignment ledger of some sort (this year we’re going low tech and using a notebook with weekly assignments that my teens initial as they complete – if you use a 3 hole punched notebook, this could fit neatly inside the rings, or you could have it in a pocket on the flap of the binder or even done on printed forms that are three-hole friendly… whatever works).
* Your Local Library’s Information sheets/Calendars
* Your Local/Konos Co-op’s Information sheets/Calendars
* Your Extra Curricular Classes (Piano, Spanish, Choir, Lego Robotics, Clubs, Scouts, Etc.) Info sheets/Calendars
* Upcoming Events (printed out from emails – such as Scholastic Warehouse Sales, Curriculum Fairs, Used Book Sales, Book-It Programs, Meetings, Capitol Days, County Fairs and Events, or Conventions)
* Blank 3-Ring Notepad
* 2-4 sheets of “baseball card” holders or “business card” holders (clear plastic sheets) that are 3-ring punched for your homeschool discount cards, homeschool business cards with your school’s name, and library cards if you have any
* Letter of Intent to Homeschool (depending on your state, this item will vary)
* If you are in a state that requires tracking of hours or attendance, keep this in your binder as well as school district telephone numbers you might need. You can use my attendance chart (XLS file) by downloading it here: Sprittibee’s Annual Attendance Chart.
* List of your state and local representatives and your local homeschool coalition (mine is THSC)
* Clear pencil bag for behavior/chore chart stickers
Making Your Load Lighter
Now that you have your binder together, and your Konos Volumes hole-punched and bound in 4-inch binders, you can easily remove ONLY the section for the unit or trait you are working on and prevent yourself from having to tote those huge books around everywhere you go. In addition, you will have all the things you need while planning at your disposal since you have put them all in ONE place. You are mobile! You can now plan while you are at the coffee shop, in the doctor’s office, or even in the parking-lot of Wal-Mart waiting on your husband to get back in the car.
No Cliff Notes
There’s just no easy way to get around this step. Planning is best when you KNOW what your teaching. READ through the section of your Konos Volume you want to teach. You simply can’t skip this step. Once you read through it, you’ll get an overall idea of what Konos suggest to teach the topic, and you can decide WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS from the long list of activities. It is impossible to do everything in the volumes. You have to pick and choose. For perfectionists like me, this is really hard. I used to stay on units for up to FOUR times as long as recommended because I had to do EVERYTHING in the book and follow EVERY rabbit trail that resulted from our lessons. This is madness. It will only lead to burn-out. Read the section, pick your favorites based on your child’s abilities and needs, and plan to do just those items. Limit yourself to three hands-on activities per day. Tailor your reading and writing around your Konos unit.
Writing it Down
Now that you have your planner, and you’ve read through the section… you have a few options of how you can record your plans:
You can copy your Konos pages from the Volume on 3-hole paper and mark them up with highlighters or pencil.
Jot down just the page number and item code for each activity and map them on your calendar by date (which will require that you refer back to the Konos section for each activity)
Copy your Konos pages from the Volume on 3-hole paper and CUT them and PASTE them on your planner or calendar (or even use a baseball card holder with slots for each day with the cut-outs placed in the pouch for the day you wish to accomplish them)
Continue from there making appropriate lists for crafts, books, supplies, field trips, to-do lists for teacher (yourself), reference items, ideas you want to add to your Konos activities that aren’t listed in the book, etc. Your blank planner pages should start to fill up with exciting ideas, and you’ll be anxious to get started. Now, the hard part will be staying on schedule as life happens!
More Preparations
Make phone calls to plan field trips, make trips to secure supply items, visit your online library catalog, purchase books through Amazon (if you do this), etc. to prepare for your unit.
Kick-Offs and Wrap-Ups
Konos is a big proponent of making things fun. We are more likely to remember things (the purpose of learning) when we are happy and enjoying ourselves (even laughing!). I have learned that I stick to my schedules better when I am held accountable to others. Co-ops and Wrap-Ups which include family and friends tend to help me work harder towards my goals. Figure out what you are going to do as a kick-off or wrap-up for your unit. Start and end your unit with a bang. You can do both, or just one of these for each unit. Make a list of what you need to prepare for your event, and add your list to your planner. Make sure to mark it on your calendar as well. Wrap ups include events such as Indian Feast Night, Cowboy Night, Greek Olympics, Plays put on by the kids, Medieval Feast Night, Election Party Night, etc. We try and do some sort of Wrap-Up for each unit… even if it is just a simple field trip for a smaller unit. Once or twice a year, you’ll want to plan a really big, memorable wrap-up that includes family and friends… to let the kids show off (such as at a open house or graduation ceremony).
I hope this list helps you in your Konos journey. I wish that I had been given the benefit of a list like this when I first was handed my Konos Volume I in that first whirlwind year of homeschooling. I look back and see how God has been guiding me along the way, and am very thankful. Again, I am NOT an expert on Konos. I “evolve” in my homeschooling planning constantly. It has taken me three years of Konos to get to this point… and a LOT of prayer. Prayer should be the constant glue that holds your homeschool planning and implementing together.
thanks so much for posting this! i am new to the Yahoo list…and found your post!
blessings!
I googled this page! I was looking up Konos Planner Pages on Google and there you were on page 4! I am also in the Yahoo group so I have been here before, great post thanks.
You are welcome, Barbara!
Thanks a bunch for leaving a note, Jennifer. Glad to know you enjoyed it.
I sure wish I could figure out how to fix the indent-crazy margins! I rewrote the post and re-formatted it, but it keeps shifting over to the right. Oh, well!
This is very helpful! Thanks.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. As a newbie KONOS user, this was sooo helpful!
You are very welcome!
I am just getting started with KONOS and would love to see your Blank Unit Study Planner Pages that you referred to. Thank you, so much, for this blog on Planning.
OK, guys… upon request, here is the free link to my PDF Konos Planner Pages. You are most welcome.
I’d love it if you left a dime or two in my tip jar if you use my planner pages and links often. Hope they can be of help to you as they have been to me.
God bless, and Happy Homeschooling!
Thank you…so much. I definately appreciate you sharing. I have read many post from you on the KONOS yahoo group and you are very inspiring. Where can we send a tip to?
Thank you so much for your Blog! My friend and I are just starting KONOS and your site is an answer to prayer! (left a tip in the jar cuz I know I’ll be back often!) I also want to recommend another site to you – WayOfTheMaster.com – by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. These guys helped kindle the fire in my life for witnessing. Finally, YES, you need to see End of the Spear! I’ve seen it twice and cried both times. Thanks again!
Jill in Florida
Thanks a bunch for all the info! I love it. This is our first year homeschooling and I have been reading and responding to some of your posts. How much would you charge me to add one more week to the unit planner and move the check list to the next page? I would love a full page of the calendar since a lot of units are also four weeks long. Thanks. Sue in FL
Thank you ladies for the tips and nice comments. Also, thanks Jill for the link to Kirk’s site. I had the biggest crush on him when I was a kid. It is funny to see him getting older (like me)! Ha! He still has such a baby face – like a highschool kid.
Sue in FL! Hi there. I’d love to fix the form for you. Just leave me a tip in my tip jar (linked on my blog’s sidebar)… that will do! Email me at my email address and I’ll fix the form and send it to you.
I googled Konos planning too. Thank you so much for posting this. It has been a huge help. We are getting ready to start Konos in a few weeks.
Kendra
You are welcome, Kendra. Hope you enjoy Konos! I’m sure you will. Even as disorganized and slowly as we manage to do Konos, we just can’t give it up.
I read your blog weekly, but I guess I never checked your archives. Just found this on a google search, isn’t that funny? I just wanted to let you know that I use plastic page protectors for my unit so I can write on the pages with a dry erase marker.
Thanks “Heart’s Desire”. God is good… 😉 Hope you can get as much planned as you had listed on your blog! If so, you’ll be a much more organized homeschooler than me!
I’m praying hard that I can limit the rabbit trails this year and stay on schedule! We tend to realllllly string out our units. My friends in co-op can attest to this!
Wow! I just bought KONOS because I wanted something I could use with all my kids at the same time. Thanks for all the information! I’ll be bookmarking this post!
BTW, I’m on the Family Friendly Blogroll, too! (Going Places)
Welcome Jana! Have fun with Konos this year!
You were like an oasis in the desert! Thanks so much for your ideas I will gladly feed your tip jar. I purchased Konos Vol II used. Can you refer me to where I might find the Konos in a bag or box unit studies w/o the Vol?
Linda C – Have you tried the Konos website? It is linked on my sidebar… or you could try this link: KONOS.
Hope you find what you are looking for and have a super first Konos year!
Hi!
I used Konos when my children were younger. I was talking to a young mom about Konos and could not remember what the things were that Jessica said to children to help them evaluate their madecomments…
Was it necessary?
Was it Christ-like?
What were the other things?? I can’t believe I have forgotten! Though it has been years since I taught it.
Thanks,
Nicole
Thanks for leading me to this site! I LOVE the idea of doing a big project to start the unit off or end it with a bang. This is my first year homeschooling and I’m very excited! Say a quick prayer for me and wish me luck! Amy in GA
I’m not sure what you mean, Nicole… ???
I did better than wishing you luck, Amy! I said a prayer for your school year to be great!
Love in Him,
Heather
Oh Heather, I just sent you a ridiculously long email and then found this. I’m going to go through it now and it will probably answer all of my questions. I should be in bed but who can sleep when they still haven’t settled on a curriculum for the “year!?” 🙂
Well – I would still love to hear from you and thanks for taking the time to share all of this on your blog. Konos must still leave Mom with a little time!
Love,
Jen
erinsbigsister at yahoo dot com
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Not that ever in my wildest dreams do I ever believe I could be that organized! But thanks for the encouragement and transparency of your own previous struggles. I’m looking forward to diving into all the other info offered here. Cathie :o)
Jen… I hope I answered you back via email. My computer has crashed twice since you first emailed me. If you have any questions still, please fire away!
Cathie – I still struggle with keeping on top of things… and I change my methods often to keep on track… and pray, pray, pray!
But Konos is worth the effort, and so is homeschool in general.
God uses homeschooling to show me that I AM NOT SUFFICIENT, HE IS. I know I need him – cuz I can’t do it on my own strength.
I can’t remember which Konos volume it was…but Jessica Hulcy said to ask your children 3 questions about their behavior/actions…particularly when they have not been good.
1. Was it Christ-like?
2. Was it necessary?
and the third one was……? I cannot remember. I will have to write Jessica and ask. Old age setting in…or home education too many years. : )
Nicole
love your post, very imformative! i am new to konos and homeschooling, we are moving to the middle east where supplies will be limited with no local library, can you give me suggestions on how to have as much stuff ready before we leave as possible (cost is no issue as the company is paying for anything i need). thank you, paige
Hi Paige. I think it is great that you are going to get to travel to another place with your family. Not sure I envy you that it will be Saudi, but traveling is wonderful. My husband was in Kuwait and Iraq for a short time. I also knew someone who lived in Iran for multiple years.
For your questions: I never thought I would be saying this, but I am not sure you can do a really great job with Konos without library books or field trip opportunities. The only way that I think it would work would be to go through the units you plan to cover and buy many books that are listed and others you see at the library that you want to use. That would mean FAR IN ADVANCE preperation and a lot of $ purchasing books and supplies. If you do this, I would make a plastic tub for each unit and put all the books, supplies, etc. into the tubs. Read through each unit in the book BEFORE you go to make sure you have what you need. I guess that would work – even if you have to skip out on field trips. Maybe you could do the Country Study on Saudi while you are there (part of Vol. 1) and do a few field trips with that if you are able.
If you decide not to go with KONOS, Ambleside has a great free curriculum that you can do with a classical approach that I know another mom in Turkey is using. She is very light on books, but she has many classics and maximizes what she has. Her blog is called “Higher Up and Farther In” and her name is Linda Fay. I would highly suggest that you check her out. She may have some other suggestions for you that I wouldn’t think of (having not been through living in the middle east myself).
If you go with Ambleside, you can just buy the books on their list and then pack them all up for your trip. See what Linda suggests to bring along with them.
I wish you well and pray God’s blessings and protection on your family as you embark on this journey! 😉
I was excitd when I found KONOS. I am even more excited now that I found your site! I am a flybaby an love my control journal…this makes sense! My kids are young and close together…5, 4, and 3. I’ll start KONOS this year, and I’m thankful that it will be easy to add the other two the next two years. Thank you SO much for helping me get organized! With my husband deployed this will give me plenty to work on!
Great, sweetie! I hope you stop back in and enjoy browsing my homeschool series posts!
world’s most google’d
hi stopover
Just in case anyone is still wondering…
is it KIND?
is it NECESSARY?
is it TRUE?
It may be true that your sister has a big zit on her nose, but it is not necessary to point it out to her and it is not kind to bring attention to it in front of others. so don’t say anything at all.
HTH
Oh my goodness . . . .
I have used KONOS for 9 years. I have one child left who still has 3 years of KONOS left. Your blog was the shot in the arm/fresh breeze I needed!
So, I will NOT give it away as I start my 10th year of home school. Love the planner idea as I’m very familiar with Flylady. Thanks!
Thank you for your great info. I am going to start KONOS with just 1 child, I am not organized or creative and fearful of not being able to implement the program with just one. There is no one I know that uses KONOS so I need lots of prayer, Do you think it is possible to do this with one child, nancyt
You are more than welcome. 😉 I’m just hoping to leave some bread crumbs through the forest so that anyone else who finds the path can use them if they loose their way. 🙂 The homeschool journey is a very hard one – but very rewarding!
I am so glad I found your site. I am thinking of using Konos next year. My children are going into grades 7, 5, 2. I am nervous about starting when my oldest is not a small child. Will he get bored with “child-like” activities? I feel like we have lost the FUN in homeschooling, and I want my children to love learning. I am scared of changing, but excited at the same time. Any advice? I haven’t decided which Konos to buy (ie. volume, in-a-bag, or in-a-box). Income is limited. Will planning be too much if I only get the Volumes?? Any help you can offer a newbie, with older children is GREATLY appreciated!
Wendi
Oh BOY! I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot! I’m thinking of making the switch to Konos because I have a very wiggly third grader, a preschooler, and an 8 month old baby. We need something FUN. I’m ready to chuck the workbooks!
I’ll be looking at this in more detail soon–gotta get dinner outta the way!
Hi, Heather!
I found your blog by googling for KONOS planners. What a treasure your site is! I was wondering, did you ever change the planner page to have 4 weeks instead of 3 and move the checklist to the 2nd page? I would love this if you still have it! I can give you a tip when my hubby gets paid later this week. Thanks for your work!
Blessings,
Lori in TX
jrnyoffaith@earthlink.net
I feel like you are my new best friend. Thanks to Google I found this wonderful post and plan on coming back. I just purchased Konos 1-3. Thank you so much for your helpful hints and sharing your planner with the internet.
I too am not a naturally organized person, it has been an area of struggle throughout my adult life. I know God is growing me in this area and I am so thankful to have all the help I can get.
Thanks again.
Have a blessed day!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thank you for this post! I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of organization I’ve read to be necessary with Konos and this information set my mind a bit more at peace. This will be our first year homeschooling and we just ordered volume 1 last night. Would you mind giving me a list of a few “must-haves” for craft supplies? We’re going to be out getting a few organizational tools and I am too “type-A” to wait for the book to show up! (I did leave a tip in the tip jar.)
Thank you again, I KNOW I’ll be back!
Danielle
I used Konos for 8 years and I just wish I had access to your tips back then (1988-1996). This is so good!
New & Used Konos Curriculum
Hi, your blog is absolutely indespensible for a new Konos mom such as myself. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the tips and help. Plus just reading through gets me really excited for Konos. It’s funny how long ago you wrote a lot of this stuff and how many years later people are reading and loving it!
Thank you so much for your Konos information. Your suggestions for the binder saved me! You will never know how it changed my life and way of homeschooling – I feel more in charge and more organized now! THANK YOU!
You are so welcome! Email if you want to talk personally. 😉
I googled too 😉 I was SO glad to see your blog there on the google results. I really really want to use Konos. I was blessed to see Jessica Hulcy at last years home educators convention, and she totally inspired me.!. I want to do home educating like she does! FUN! Less workbooks. Something they'll remember! So, I eBayed & scored a Konos Vol. 1. And I've been trying to collect the books and etc. but not everything is at the library that's listed. And HOW do you plan the activities. OHHH my goodness. I shelved the book for quite some time, staring at it longingly. lol. I just have NO idea where to start. So, I am trying it again. Taking this week to plan. don't do every activity, thats good to know. How many activities a day? Which books should we read and which should we skip. I'm soo lost. 😀 helllp. lol. I say this jokingly, but really, that's how I feel. ha.
Wow! I’m starting my homeschool journey this year as my oldest will be in kindergarten, followed by sisters age 3 and 5 mos. For the past year I’ve been researching curriculum and fell in love with Konos. Just ordered volume 1 tonight! And while I enjoy being organized, I wasn’t sure how to go about it so I could maximize our first year. This post showed up on google and I’m so GRATEFUL! Thanks! I noticed several moms commented on their lack of organizing skills, but I’m more in the camp of lacking “fun” skills. Organization I can handle, but sometimes I seem to zap the fun right out of things. I really want homeschooling to be enjoyable! I’ll try to check out more of your blog, and if you have any other ideas for a first time homeschool mom let me know! And thanks again for taking the time to help as we all take the leap!:)
God bless!
Rory Cookman
woosterweester@aol.com
Thanks for putting this together. Gotta question: Do you know how often Konos publishes new editions?…and what the dates of the latest editions are (for Vol’s. 1-3) Any thoughts on whether it’s important to buy a more recent version instead of an older one? (I’m coming from 7 years with Sonlight and trying something different next year. Excited about Konos…. but realizing that Sonlight has spoiled me a bit in the “professionalism” of their website and “quick responses” to questions I have. I can’t seem to get any responses from the Konos “support.”)
Sara – The books, like the activities, are suggestions. You'll have trouble getting everything done just like you'll have trouble finding all the books. Just pick your favorites and must-do/must-reads from each unit and focus on those! Don't beat it to death like I have – or you'll end up burning out! 😉
Rory – You will do well if you are organized! Kudos to you! The fun is there – just gag and handcuff yourself as Jessica always said… let the kids get messy and create/discover… don't interfere. That's the fun you are looking for.
Kelly – 🙂 Please look on the Konos site for the E LOOP web address. It is a YAHOO Email group for those who use Konos. You'll find what you are looking for in support and information there. Wade is a moderator on the group and is available for questions sometimes, too. Right now Jessica is in the hospital fighting for her life after a car accident, so he's tied up with that… but you can get information about Konos from the moms on the group. 😉
Thanks so much for your information on getting KONOs off the ground and living it daily! I am starting KONOs this year with my 3.5, 6 and 13 YOS and looking forward to it! Will be checking your site often for more info, thanks again.
Just googled Konos and found your post. I am just starting with Konos. I know I will have a lot of questions, but for now was wondering where I can find the Konos Planner referred to in the posts. I clicked on it, but it said it was expired. My email is melbitoast@hotmail.com
Thank you for blessing me with all the information/tips.
Hello
Just found your great posts! I am new to Konos and wanted to view the Konos Planner mentioned in the posts. When I clicked on it, it said it was expired. Please let me know if I can view it. My email is melbitoast@hotmail.com.
Thank you!
Thank you so much! I have been homeschooling for 4 years now and we are just starting to use Konos. I was bummed out this year when our MACHE homeschool conf. came around and they didn't have a booth. I really needed someone to walk me through it. The kids and I are enjoying school a lot more these days:) Thanks again.
http://www.muddyflowers.com
Kelly
Thank you for this (5 years later! 🙂 I am thinking about switching to KONOS but am scared because I am a Type A personality and like to check off my boxes and have everything laid out for me. I was formally a public school teacher, so it's very hard for me to get out of that type of thinking. I WANT to teach like this — I really do. I think I'm going to go for it! Are you still doing KONOS?
Lezli – I have found that I desire what I have least (patience, calm, natural hands-on teaching skills…) so CM and Unit Studies really are something I WANT to teach like. However, it is a constant "dying to self" when doing these kinds of learning methods for me. I stay with my nose in a home education book when I have free time so that I can keep my heart and mind up to the task. It's much easier for me with my public school background to want to check a list off, fill a worksheet out, and read a textbook. I kick myself all the time when I don't see "academic progress" in those mediums… and yet I often don't realize that my kids are learning by leaps and bounds just participating in everyday life (a Charlotte Mason philosophy).
No one can customize your homeschool journey for you – you have to do what is best for your kids and your sanity. 🙂 We don't use KONOS any more, but that doesn't mean that I won't with the little guys when they are of school age. My big kids needed more structure and then our life with two babies didn't permit me enough time to plan and follow through with KONOS, either. They are currently in 9th and 8th grades in everything but Math (in Math, they are half way through 7th and 8th and we'll be in 9th and 8th in the Spring or so. We are doing chronological history right now with Mystery of History. It is linked on my sidebar. Right now, that's what works. 🙂 Just when you think you have things figured out, they get older and things change. Just be flexible and keep praying and reading and planning… and it will all work out! The main thing is a love for learning together and a love for each other. The rest is just books.
PS – TO ANYONE WANTING MY PLANNER: I'll be putting it on my new site when I move to WordPress. It is in the works! Otherwise, feel free to email me and maybe I can get you a PDF. If the laptop didn't kill my files, that is.
Thanks so much for your input. It is exactly what I needed. I am homeschooling two of my 7 kids this year ages 6 and 7 and the Konos curriculum is great…just overwhelming for someone who was a school teacher in a classical school. Very different approach. I will gladly take any pdfs or anything else you would recommend. I am so grateful to have found your site.
God bless
Pamela 🙂
Hey Pamela! I know, right? Konos is a left-brain curriculum for sure. Once I got going with it, though, my brain began working that way — unit study all the way! Now, I’m still having trouble switching gears in to the more grown up world of high-school. Middle school was so rough for us because I failed to transition and we had two babies during those years. I ended up giving up unit studies for more of a CM literature and relaxed unschooling “method”. Have you read my “Accidental Unschooling” series? It explains our journey a lot. You can find the button in the sidebar! Welcome here and email me any time if you have a question!
Hi, I have followed you over the years but never got past the initial read and envy of your ‘togetherness’ lol! It’s time for me to get serious and I desperately need your files to create my binder and organize my journey! If you can spare the time I’d love for you to email me any PDF files you are willing to share. THANK YOU!! Blessings, Mary marebearsfun@yahoo.com
If you only knew. lol I’m good to be showered and dressed by 5pm some days. Life is crazy. You just have to jump in and do your best and keep praying hard. 🙂 I’m working on the files and hear you! So many have requested that it is high on the blogging priority list, but right now I’m also preparing for school, transporting high schoolers to co-op classes, keeping toddlers from blowing up the world, and trying to run a homeschool blog awards behind the scenes… shhhhh! 😉 Trust me, the files are coming soon! I’m aiming for next Monday at the latest.
I think I may love you. Seriously. My husband said I could homeschool *if* I could prove that I wouldn’t just get lost in the planning of it. Meaning…would I spend hours on the internet and pinterest and actually never get around to teaching my kids? Um. I have no idea why! lol Flylady is about the greatest thing I have ever discovered and anyone who is smart enough to use her control journal method with homeschooling…is super woman! Thank You!!!!
This is an old but still super useful post! Thanks so much!
Glad to have helped you out! I’ll be needing it in a year or so when we start over with our toddlers! 😉 Maybe I’ll update it then.
I just found your Web site…and I’ll be doing konos this fall with my dd…I would love to have your planner pages and your new Web address…thanks
Sue
Sueb0154@Yahoo.com
Be sure to sign up for the updates – I’ll be updating this planner some time soon!
I am so excited to have found this treasure of a post! I’ll be starting Konos with my son over the summer, and have been a little intimidated by the task of planning….to say the least!
I’m wondering something about the timeline though. Did you use a timeline, and what did you use/do for the timeline? Did you use the characters sold by Konos, or do you think another set of timeline characters would work?
Thanks!!
When we were using KONOS, we had the timeline and used it when the kids were little, but after a while, my husband tired of the “mess” of having it on the wall, and I wasn’t happy with the idea of moving it to the garage. Therefore, we ended up using a file-box with index cards and I would print off images of the people we were studying, allow the kids to either color them or just paste them on the card, and then summarize the person’s life and importance and add dates. We did this for many years, but now we are using Mystery of History and they have the same type of system (either a wall chart or they suggest a timeline book). We use Book of Time with Sonlight recommended characters… I think Homeschool in the Woods? Hope that helps.
As for my PDF for planning, I’m working on revamping it soon – my preschoolers are going to start back up with KONOS this year or next year. I might supplement with KONOS while using MOH for the big kids this year (MOH is chronological history and is more geared for older elementary and up, so not many of the activities are low enough level for my 4 and 2 year old, but many in KONOS would work great if I just jump around a little).
Be watching the blog, as I’ll be linking and uploading a new and updated KONOS planner page soon…
Hi, I have used MFW in the past and i am looking into Konos in a box. What do you think about this? I know very little about Konos, and feel overwelmed. My child learns very well with hands on! I am so used to MFW that lays everything out and very little planning. Any info. would be great! Thanks, Michelle
I think the in-a-box are very much planned out for you. 🙂 No worries!
I just wanted to say “thank you very much for posting this”! It has been a tremendous source of help for me. It is my first year teaching Konos and I am not a very organized person so starting off with a control journal for my curriculum has been absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Thanks! 😉 I’m about to revisit my KONOS days with the preschoolers, so I’ll be updating a lot of the older posts soon!
Thanks for this! And for your emphasis on prayer so helpful and a wonderful reminder.
Thanks for posting this! I have limited time today and am looking for a specific answer, but I book marked your site to revisit when I can look more closely. I am seriously considering switching to the KONOS curriculum. It sounds like what I envision when I close my eyes and think home shooling. I’m trying to get an idea of what our day would look like and what time we should start to be able to make scouts at 6 etc. What I can’t seem to find is how long does an average KONOS afternoon take? Thanks in advance!
It depends on how OCD you are, how much advance planning and prep work you do, how well you can get the kids to participate, how many activities you cram into the timeframe you are interested in filling, and how many rabbit trails you try to navigate. 😉 It is a very individualized program. You should look at KONOS like a salad bar. All of the stuff up there is GREAT, but picking and choosing is the only way to go. Even the writers of KONOS did not do every single activity and have stated on their email lists and written articles about homeschooling being like a train… the more focused on your plans and better follow through you have, the more you stay on track towards graduation. I was the perpetual rabbit trail mom, so I ended up burning my kids out after a while on the units trying to do every little activity and follow every interest we had. That was FUN, but it slowed us down considerably. 🙂 I suggest a happy medium. Set aside a few hours each week to dawdle where your kids are in delight mode. But move forward — lest you fall behind on your goals.