Homeschool Record Keeping

Homeschooling is very popular. Though most children still attend public and private schools, some families see a great value in teaching their children at home. This is not something that can be taken lightly, and not everyone can do this effectively. It takes a lot of time and effort, and you have to be good at homeschool record keeping in order to be sure your children are getting a good education and that the state believes that as well. It depends on the district and state, but each family that homeschools must report back one or more times a year so that they are sure things are going as they should.

Homeschool record keeping will consist of many things, but what you have to do will depend on your state of residence, and at times, the preferences of the school district in which you live. They have to answer to the state, so it may not vary much within the same state if you move or change locations. You will have to keep track of what they have done and what you are going to do before the end of the year. The state wants to know that your children are learning what children in public schools are learning so they do not fall behind or receive a sub par education.

You may be required to keep a portfolio of what each child has been doing as a part of homeschool record keeping. You will not have to save everything they do, as that would be overwhelming, but testing and special assignments that show how far your child has progressed and with what they have had trouble with are going to be important parts of this portfolio. You should receive instructions on what you should include, and if you do not, ask for this information. You can also ask other homeschooling families what they do and what to include. Most will be happy to help you out.

Depending on where you live, your homeschool record keeping should reflect the hours you are spending on schooling and what you have been doing. Some may tell you that you only have to spend a little time each day, but that is not always the case. You have to put in enough time so the children are getting the full benefit of each lesson. As they get older, more and more time will be required each day as subjects are harder to understand and far more complex. Kindergarten aged children will not have to spend nearly as much time each day with study as a high school aged child, and that will be reflected in your homeschool record keeping.

If you need help, you can find some homeschool record keeping materials online, or you can make up your own system. Either way, be sure you have space to include all of the information that is required by your state, and be sure that you spend a few minutes each day keeping up with what you have to enter. If you let it go and try to do it once a week, you may forget things and your records for homeschooling will not be complete. That is the last thing that you want when you have to show your state what you have been doing.