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What are Keyed Planners and Keyed Graders?

Keyed lesson planners are usually always a type of subject planner, but not all subject planners are keyed. I don't remember if any weekly planners are keyed.

How to Identify a Keyed Planner or a Keyed Grader: Instead of being blank or having Monday, Tuesday, etc. in the COLUMN headers, a keyed planner will have either letters or Roman numerals. The ROWS are marked with numbers (usually). It wasn't until later when I became consistent with adding keys, so some of my older planners could be keyed differently.

Exhibit A: Roman Keyed 4-Page Quarter Planner PDF

What is Alpha Keyed?

Alpha Keyed lesson planners mark the columns with letters. The letters are usually A, B, C, D and E.

What is Roman Keyed?

Roman Keyed lesson planners mark the columns with Roman numerals I, II, III, IV, and V. See Illustration 1.

Why Should I Use Keys?

The purpose of the keys is to create a coordinate to a particular lesson plan. Why might I need such a coordinate? Two reasons are listed below.

• You use a keyed grader and you want to slot the scores into the same keyed box as the lesson plan. Of course, this would require using a subject planner and a grader that are identically keyed. See Illustration 1.
• You need to create a record of some sort and you want to reference a particular lesson plan instead of rewriting the lesson plan in the record.

Illustration 1: Roman Keyed Grader and Subject Planner

How Do I Use Keys?

1. Combine the column key with the row key to create a coordinate to a particular box in the lesson planner. See Illustration 1.
2. When referencing a lesson plan in a record, a third key will be necessary to identify the quarter planner if you are using several quarter planners. I suggest adding the class name or an abbreviation of the class name to the key.
   1. Example: Math-A1
   2. Example: Sci-A1

Which Planner Forms Use Keys?

Usually the quarter planners, the semester planners, and some of my other types of subjects planners use keys. You will also find keyed planners in some of the my Lesson Planner Sets.

Quarter Planners: 1-Page versus 4-Page

• The 1-page quarter planners hold up to 45 brief lesson plans and are keyed to 9 rather than 36.
• The 4-page quarter planners hold up to 180 brief lesson plans and are keyed to 36.

Which Graders Use Keys?

Roman keyed graders may be found at Grades and Grade Book.