Record Keeping is a topic which is frequently bought up at homeschooling meetings and forums, and its importance in the homeschooling curriculum can not be overlooked. Record Keeping for homeschooling is not only legally required in various States, but also provides important goals in your child's learning experience. An interest-initiated homeschooling approach means that the topic of studies is far ranging and diverse. It can become very confusing to write accurate homeschooling reports, due to the interest-initiated approach to learning being so difficult to classify and pigeon-hole.
Record keeping in homeschooling is vital not only for the sake of regulations, but is also an exciting way to record and document the learning process of the child. When most of the learning is done through play and there is no clear indication of topics that have to be covered, it becomes necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child's progress.
The method for your record keeping can be as simple as a piece of paper and and as complex as a computer pro gramme- it is completely up to you to decide which method will be more effective. If you are participating in a support group, you most likely have set forms and requirements. However, staying on top of daily assignments and reports will make the process so much more efficient and easily achievable in the homeschooling environment.
The most popular record keeping methods used by various home schools are listed below.
Daily planner:
Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher's planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered, and make additional notes if issues arise which might be improved on in the next semester. Maintain a separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This may include educational trips, visits and videos, homeschooling online materials etc. Any extra topics that were covered should also be recorded in this area. Make sure you make a summary at least once every quarter.
Journal:
This can be maintained by either the teacher or the student. This basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was done in the homeschooling sessions. No only is keeping a journal of your homeschooling a fantastic way to reminisce in the future, it is also a means to monitor the effectiveness of your teaching and your child's interpretations of the homeschooling process.
Portfolios:
This consists of a collection of diverse materials that display what the child has achieved and done during the course of his/her homeschooling study. Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to chart the child's progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose and flexible form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are considered the best in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress in subjects such as mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can all be recorded in this manner. The biggest advantage is that portfolio assessment places control in the hands of the home schooled child. Having a tangible record of what they have achieved in their homeschooling will only serve to motivate them to achieve more and more.
Conclusion
Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased record-keeping systems that lay out a great checklist and help to automate the homeschooling process. There is now an abundance of homeschooling organizers and planners available online- do use due diligence when considering homeschooling products- preferable use a recommendation where you can see how effective the product is going to be. Whichever method of record keeping you decide on for your homeschooling, it is an essential part of the homeschooling process and will be beneficial to initiate from the start. You never know, your child's future may depend on this system of record-keeping.
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