1/30/15 ****I've since this post discovered a great workshop by OIKOS (South Africa) that explains how to use KONOS without a "planner" and is much more relaxed. OIKOS also has a great website that explains EVERYTHING you could need for KONOS and is super simple to navigate. Go to the OIKOS "How To" tab and learn how to make homeschooling super easy.
- First I have the binder removed and three holed punched. I put the pages in a store bought big 'ol binder or BOB :^)
- I take a copy of the Table of Contents and check mark the units I'd like to do. Next decide if you want to hit all the character traits in that volume or mix it up with other volumes. Remember you can come back to the unit when you're kids are older so don't try to do everything. I place the Marked Table of Contents in the front pocket of BOB.
- I sit down with my KONOS BOB a few months ahead of time (like summer) and just read through it, all of the activities (I don't use the lesson plans).
- For each sub-unit (aka Obedience - general, Kings & Queens etc) I write a sticky note with the letter of the activity and page #s of all the activities that look like something my kids would want to do or looks interesting. This will be my first run through the book. I place that sticky on the heading page for the sub-unit.
- A month ahead I run through the KONOS BOB and decide how much time I can spend on KONOS. Some months you can do a lot and some not. Keep in mind if you're having a new baby, job change, house change because that's not the time to do a heavy unit...if at all. I take the month of December off...as in totally off. You don't have to do KONOS everyday if that doesn't fit your schedule. For some people KONOS every day is too much so maybe just 2 or 3 days works better.
- Take the sub-unit (aka general, horses etc) out of BOB and put it into a smaller working binder.
- Now knowing how many days you've decided to do KONOs (mine is 5) pull off that many days of sticky notes and put onto a sheet of paper. Label each sticky Day 1, Day 2 etc. Put another 2 stickies on the sheet and label one Books/Videos and another that says To Buy.
In this pic you can see on the left my page (planner) with "stickies" and on the right you can see my original "sticky" with all the activities I thought might be fun.
Sticky planner up close - Now go back to the sticky that's stuck on your sub-unit with activities you thought might be good (aka. general, Kings & Queens etc) and decide which day you want to do each of the activities (or not at all) and list them on your sticky for that day. As you're doing that write down books you might like or videos that might work off the top of your head and put that on the book/videos sticky. I use the Book of Knowledge encyclopedias, Childcraft encyclopedias and Golden Book encyclopedias ALOT as well as youtube videos rather than relying on our little library. I want to emphasize that you DON'T have to have tons of books to do KONOS. They are nice if you have the time but not necessary if you have encyclopedias and/or the internet.
- As you're going over your activities place items you need to buy on your "to buy" sticky. You'll take this with you when you're shopping. I don't always have this sticky as you can see from the pic above.
- Decide what read aloud/individual reading you want to do from either the book list or your home library. We use Sonlight, Robinson Curriculum and my personal vintage books for most of this as well as missionary stories that we own (or I make). So if you are going to use the library you'll need to search your library online for books you might like under that topic if they don't have the books on the KONOS booklist. Put down books that you have on hand and the books that you'll get from the library from your search on your books/video sticky. This will be helpful for when you come back to this unit another year. If you have several children reading at different levels you may need a couple of book stickies.
- Now order your books if you need to (and download if they are EBooks), pick up your supplies on the " to buy" list and you're ready to go. If you don't get to one of the days either switch the sticky with another one or remove it and put it back onto the header to the unit it matches and MOVE ON! Don't get bogged down if days don't work out...that's a piece of advice from Mrs. BTDT. ;^)
- At this point you can transer all this to a KONOS planner. I have one here and here
- Repeat the "sticky" steps for all the units you want to do ahead...I do about 1 month to 2 months ahead. Takes about 1 hour to do a month worth.
This is the "next" unit we'll be doing ready to go in the working binder. When I'm ready to teach it I'll transfer the "stickies" to a piece of paper to be put in the front of the working binder. The old "stickes" go back onto the unit it was for....ready for next time.
Here you can see my original list of activities sticky, "to do" note and videos that I came up with off the top of my head that we own.
The "Sticky Planner" all filled out and waiting for when we do that unit.It's stuck to the page that starts that unit.
