The following how to guides support 2023 Homeschool planner versions. Having trouble? Check the FAQ below and if that doesn’t answer your questions feel free to contact me for help!
These planners are a normal A4 page size, not made to fit any specific screen size.
They are primarily designed to be used on a tablet with a stylus/pen so you can freely write/highlight as needed. But if you’re using a mobile phone, or do not have a pen, you can still type using the keyboard like usual.
You cannot beat an iPad. Brand new they can be a bit exxy, but there are always good quality, second-hand iPads available on Facebook marketplace.
I am currently using a 2021 iPad Pro and 2nd gen Apple Pencil. You don’t need to go this far however just to use the planners – as they’ll work with any iPad & pencil.
Again, go Apple. the Apple pen (doesn’t matter first or second gen) and iPad are literally made for each other. When you’re writing on a digital notebook, there is nothing more frustrating than a jittery or delayed response. Don’t waste your $$ on anything else!
Obviously I’m not the support team for your stylus brand. However, I have seen repeated issues being experienced when using a cheap/knock off stylus pen. It wont connect, drops out frequently, is jittery or doesn’t work smoothly.
The answer for this lies in a shameless plug for a product I love. I have even purchased this for my kids iPads, as it makes such a big difference when doing digital illustrations, using notebooks or anything else really.
If you don’t enjoy using the Apple pen, check out PAPERLIKE screen protectors.
With the paperlike, it really does reduce the friction on the tip of the pen, and feels like writing with a good ballpoint pen.
I personally use Notability, but GoodNotes is also another good alternative. Either one will work with the planners I suggest. I just prefer Notability for its archiving structure & the ability to customise the workspace so much.
Unfortunately I cannot help recommend anything specific for other tablets.
However, at the end of the day, the planners are just A4 sized PDFs with hyperlinks, which should work in ANY note-taking app. You can even use this on a computer in something like Preview (mac) or Adobe.
This is another reason I live Notability – it can be synced across all devices using iCloud, or backed up using Dropbox which is what I use in my web dev business, Thorn Creative.
It’s an easy setup in the Notability settings. I find the best sync is over iCloud, any 3rd party can have a small delay.
Ensure that your device is 100% current with any updates for your notes app and the operating system (eg, iOS).
Restart your device (please don’t roll your eyes, I promise it helps!). I find this usually resolves the issues when Notability starts glitching.
Check your network/internet connection.
I will NEVER, ever, ever spam your inbox (pinky promise!) or share your details with anyone else. You’ll just get infrequent updates from me including some cute freebies!
