Weird but True! Daily Planner: 365 Days to Fill with School, Sports, Friends and Fun
My son is starting the 5th grade. He’s a bright boy with a curious mind that loves science. He has some attention issues and I’m looking for ways he can work on improving his executive function. I first heard about the Weird But True Daily Planner when I was sent an editorial review copy.
I knew looking at his new school schedule we needed him to have ways to organize and plan tackling his workload. Most upper elementary and middle school kids will benefit from the use of a daily planner. But any planner will only be of use if the child cracks it open.
When I gave it to my son to look over, he disappeared with it for an hour thumbing through it! This was a very good sign! This is a kid that loves Guinness World Record Books! The planner has fun facts throughout with many coinciding with the particular holiday or weird “national day”. He emerged from his room beaming about all the fun faces he learned. “Daddy! In England, black cats are considered good luck. Not bad luck!” He went on and on about strange facts and he shared things he learned with his little sister. I realized this was not only a way to help him organize and plan. Many of these “weird but true” facts will give your child icebreakers with new friends about at school.
The planner is covered in a heavy cardboard, but the inside is spiral bound so it will lay flat and hold up to your child taking it in and out of his locker or school bag. This high quality of paper also makes it a bit heavy. But elementary students who aren’t necessarily having to carry it around in a back pack all day will be fine.
Your child can fill in their class schedule in the beginning pages. Then at the start of each month, there is a space for planning out goals. There is a decent amount of space for kids to write down things they need to do on the pages. The planner has also space to doodle, or write. Children can get creative, while writing answers to suggested questions. For example, next to the fact that in Italy, you can buy fresh pizza from a vending machine, there is a question “You are inventing a vending machine. What weird thing will it dispense?” Kids use their imagination, while answering those questions.
Our school is Montessori so students and teachers collaborate on goals whether it involves reading or math or behavior. There is a decent amount of space at the top of each page for kids to do lists This is a great spot to work on goals for home or school. Each page holds two days with plenty of space for your child to write down their assignments, practices, and reminders..
The planner runs August-July but can be adapted for any year since your child just circles the days of the week on the pages. So, this book can work through the summer to keep track of practices and camps and family vacation schedules too. At the end of the book, there are numerous pages considered “homework help”. You’ll find maps, tips on writing a report, and reminders on how to remember animal classifications. There are also charts for the metric system and multiplication.
National Geographic Kids United States Atlas, 5th Edition is the perfect companion to the planner. Featuring more than 75 maps, over 350 color images, lively photo essays, and an easy-to-use place-name index National Geographic ’s world-renowned cartographers have paired up with education experts to create an unparalleled resource of information about the United States. There is a wealth of information on flags, birds and flowers of each state. This book is filled with pictures, charts and stats.
This is an informative, well put together fun planner. And the Atlas is the best you can buy. The combo is a terrific purchase or gift for elementary or middle schoolers. I’ll report back once my son has used them and report his thoughts about them mid year.
Photo Credit: author/ Nat Geo Kids
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