Edu-Track has a great reputation as well. I talked with several moms who rave about it, and it seems that everyone who uses it is pleased.

Jessica of Trivium Academy uses Homeschool Planner. When you link to her blog article on Lesson Plans, be sure to read the wealth of information from other bloggers in her comments section and leave a comment of your own!

Another option is Brain in a Binder created by writer, speaker and homeschool blogger Cindy Rushton. For those who love notebooking, this system looks great!

Any one of these programs could be a real sanity saver in the record keeping department––especially for those with rigorous state requirements or older students in need of detailed transcripts.

My children are young, so my record keeping needs are simple. Little foil stars on my calendar indicate the days we've "done school". Penciled in dates at the top of workbooks and other resources collaborate with the stickers on the calendar should I ever need further evidence of what was studied when.

For those of us with our foil stars, the appeal of these programs is not in recording but in planning! My daughters appreciate having their daily assignments in black and white and glean a certain satisfaction in seeing tasks neatly outlined.  Every year my lesson plans get more elaborate as I add students and subjects to our school.  Seeing everything at a glance is increasingly helpful for me!

As with any tool, it must be your servant, not the other way around. If a package of foil stars and a pencil are all the record keeping tools you need, don't spend money or data entry time for fancy software. Perhaps however, your lesson plans and/or record keeping could be simplified by the flexible structure these tools provide.

What tools do you need for lesson planning? Have your tools changed through the years as your homeschool has changed, or has the same trusty hammer (or pencil) served through the seasons?

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of four, Dell enjoys writing about home, heart and hearth.