Ideas for Homeschool Record Keeping

Homeschol record keeping is very important.

It is required by law in many States, and can really help when your homeschooled child is ready to apply to colleges. But homeschool record keeping is not only important for the sake of regulations. It is also an exciting way to record and document the learning progress of your child.

Homeschooling is a season of intense bonding with your children. You both get to know each other quite well. You learn what your child excels in and where they struggle and you also get to really know your own personal level of patience.

If you use an interest-initiated homeschooling approach that means that the topic of studies can be far ranging and vary greatly. It can be a challenge to write quarterly reports for your school district, when it is difficult to classify learning into neatly pigeonholed areas. How would you keep records for that?

When most of the learning is done through play and adventure and there is no clear cut index of topics that have to be covered, it is necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child's progress.

But those of us that use other approaches such as unit studies, literature rich, classical studies, or full box curriculums are not immune either.

Keeping homeschool records is vital no matter your approach to homeschooling.

But don't worry. Your homeschool records can be as simple as a daily journal, or as elaborate as a software program designed to input each and every activity. We keep notebooks for every year with grade sheets indexed in the front. If you participate in a support group, you probably have set forms and requirements. But even so, keeping track of daily work makes reporting easy and efficient.

There are various record keeping methods used by homeschooling families.

Some of the more popular ways of recording the homeschool years are…

Journal:
Maintained by the teacher or the student the basis of the homeschool journal is to keep a log of what was learned and what was done. Recording memorable events that happened in the course of the year is a great way to reminisce later on.

Daily planner:
I personally love daily planners. You can lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher's planning notebook. Check off each item as it is covered. And maintain a separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This
includes field trips, books ready, and videos etc. Any extra topics that were covered are also recorded in this area. Make a summary every quarter.

Portfolios: 
Use a portfolio to show off your child’s work.This consists of a collection of varied materials that show what the child has achieved and done during the course of each year.Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to chart your child's
progress. It gives structure to what can be a loose and flexible form of homeschooling. Things you can include are…

• A drawing portfolio that consists of some paintings or sketches that are considered the best in that year.

• A language portfolio that may consist of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters.

• Your child’s progress in mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can all be recorded this way.

The biggest advantage is the portfolio way of record keeping places control in the hands of your child. You may find them more inspired since they have a tangible record of what they have accomplished.

These are just some good examples of how you can keep records of your child’s homeschooling years.

Regardless of which method you choose to use, record keeping in one form or the other is very important. Your child's future may well depend on the well-maintained records that you have kept over the years.

A weekly homeschool planner with forms to keep track of testing,    evaluations and special events. Editable PDF so you buy one time. No recurring fees.  Personalize it to fit your family.

Some Homeschool Record Keeping Programs

	Homeschool Tracker. Web based and downloadable version. Low monthly fee for lesson planning and recork keeping. There is a Basic and a Plus edition.
	The Home Scholar. This is designed to help your child get into college. Comprhensive homeschool tracker includes your transcripts, samples of work, awards, course descriptions and more.
	Schoolhouse Planners: When you subscribe to the Schoolhouse Teachers you get access to all of their printable Homeschool Planners. Various options depening upon age of the child.
The Master Planner Homeschool Planner:	A really big complete homeschool planner. Track and plan your homeschool. Available as a download or purchase the CD.
Homeschool Skedtrack {free}:	Schedule and keep track of your childs progress. Lesson planning, attendance, grade recording. Lots of stuff available here. This is an online product.
	The Ultimate Homeschool Mom's Planner. More than just homeschooling forms this planner includes housekeeping, menu planning and more forms. Inspirations quotes and scripture to motivate and inspire you.
	Weekly Homeschool Planner. A weekly printable homeschool planner