Methods Of Record Keeping For Homeschooling
By: KB Lim

One area of interest I see frequently being discussed in forums and support groups is record keeping. It is very important to keep a record of your child’s homeschooling education not only because it is legally required in many states but also it records and document the learning process of the child. It is necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log which records the child's progress.

The main reason why most parents do not keep a record is because they do not like to write. Sad but true.Some people just hate to put their thoughts or anything on paper. The other main reason is record keeping is so broad, they just do not know where and how to start and ends up frustrated.

Record keeping does not need to be complicated and can be as simple as a daily journal or if you hate to write, use a software program instead.

Record keeping is important not only for the sake of regulations.It 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 cut index of topics that have to be covered, the records you keep can be as simple as a daily journal, or as elaborate as a software program. 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 various homeschools. Some of the more popular ones are:

Journal:
The simplest method of record keeping is to keep a journal. It will keep a log of what was learned and done. It is also a good way of recording memorable events during your child’s homeschooling years that would have been forgotten otherwise.

Portfolios:
You can also keep a portfolio or collection of materials to show what the child has learned and achieved during homeschooling. This is a good way to record the child’s progress. For example, you can maintain a drawing portfolio which may consists of some of the paintings or drawings done by the child during a homeschool year. Other examples include maths, science, geographic, history and social science.

Having a portfolio allows you to compare the work done by the child year by year, therefore you can better gauge the child’s study progress.

Daily planner:
A daily planner in its simplest form is just a checklist of plans and assignments you plan. It could be for a week, a month or a year. As your child completes these assignments, check them off one by one. You could then make summary every quarter of what was completed.

Record Keeping Software:
There are also homeschooling record keeping software available on the market that can get the job done if you hate to write. The main advantage is all recording keeping are centralized in one place without the hassle of losing one piece of record or another.

Regardless of which recording keeping method you use, you need to be diligent in maintaining it. I would advise to record it immediately once an assignment is completed rather later.