We homeschooled our daughter last year through Kindergarten. It was an awesome experience, and she truly blossomed in her education. It was fantastic! What wasn't so great? The bookkeeping. It isn't required in my state but I did it anyways to try and see what does and doesn't work for me (and truly it is a good thing to do). I had a traditional pen and paper day planner and I documented her school books in a section in the front, and her day to day work in the calendar portion in the back.
It was a pain in the rear.
Maybe it was because of her age or how fast we were blowing through those darn books? But holy crap, I felt like I never had enough room and like I was spending FOREVER doing this. I also kept all of her work, filed it by the month she completed it in, and it's stored in it's own expandable file folder.
Have any of you come up with a better way? Do you have another suggestion that you have loved (that would be good for primary education grade levels)? Also, do you document things like library books that are read? That would be a pain the butt, too. Proud mom here, but she reads 5-6 books per week - that will be a lot of documenting over the course of a year.
Suggestions?? And how much of their work do you save/toss?
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Comments (31)
At this age - and if it's not required by the state or school program - I just kept an informal daily journal where I could jot down books or cool things we did, but it didn't have to be thorough. I mostly did it just so I could remind myself of what we had been doing, not to document each and every subject or lesson. Just keep it somewhere handy and if you skip a day or two don't worry about it :)
I'll ask my mother for a slightly more detailed answer... I do know that this was a challenge she faced homeschooling my youngest sister. After all, if you spend too much time on documentation, isn't that time you aren't spending on education (or on much-needed mommy time?).
Some relief may come when you get to the age where you can incorporate a more standardized program. The Kumon Math system has documentation built into it, and the kids are required to do some of the bookkeeping... accountability and actual reflection and whatnot. That particular program, and others like it, are highly recommended.
As far as keeping track of which books you've read, hooking into an Electronic Bookshelf or Accelerated Reader type program could help. You get a little 10-question multiple choice quiz for each book, which lets you, as a parent, get a good idea of whether your child is actually comprehending, or just reading, and again, the system should keep the documentation for you. Of course, you are limited in that the system does not include all books, but I honestly think that's fine too... we don't need to put a reading quiz with every book, and you'll have no luck trying to realistically keep track of everything you are going to read over the next decade or so. So use that sort of program for the books that are available, to keep a running log of the general progress, and then don't worry too much about writing down all the other ones. PizzaHut also does a summer reading program called BookIt, which will encourage children to keep their own documentation, so when you are ready for her to take that burden on herself, introducing it with that program could be a good opportunity.
Your hardest documentation will probably be for things which really no standard curriculum is available... I have my mom's old Music Theory course, which is a 3" ring binder running from grades 1-12 with everything from clapping out rhythm patterns to identifying by ear the difference between a late and early baroque composer. For that sort of thing, you might get a quick scanner and keep a file of the assignments you have on a daily or weekly basis, instead of full lesson documentation. That should save you a lot of time, and since students tend to struggle in a wide variety of places with that sort of curriculum, trying to keep a daily log for the purposes of a second or third student is less useful than it would be in say, a standardized science curriculum.
EDIT : The doctorate of education is now standing over my shoulder =P
She says she recommends...
1) Incorporate the children in the recordkeeping process as much as possible. Increased accountability and awareness of academic progress, as well as involving the student in vertical alignment decisions, have all been shown to increase retention. Plus, the bane of homeschooling is the lack of writing. Any excuse to write more.
2) Go Electronic. Scan every clean worksheet into a file, sort your files by month, semester, and grade level, and then even if you don't document perfectly in a separate place, you can look up almost exactly what you did on a given day. This also makes reproducing a curriculum path for a second and third child much, much easier.
3) Separate "English" into "Reading" and "Writing", and give each of them the same amount of time you give other subjects. Avoid all attempts of a curriculum to combine the two, you need to devote time to each at all grade levels. <-- totally not a bookkeeping suggestion, ~ed.
4) Record-keeping should be a function of original goal-setting. Write your class goals (also "Essential Questions" or "Learning Objectives/Outcomes" depending upon state/curriculum) in a clearly visible spot in your home-school room, and then keep in your personal notes a theoretical sheet about which goals you felt were accomplished by your student, and when they met them. Leave the day-to-day bookkeeping to the electronic system. This will make your record-books much more useful to first, an accreditation board, and second, to you, if you want to look back through them. It will be nigh impossible to try and sort through a day-by-day plan of every possible minute, so your goal with bookkeeping is to record how well your student met objectives, and point yourself towards the lessons where the most learning was accomplished.
EDIT II ::
She says everybody tries to keep all the work at the start, until they have to move houses/apartments and decide those big boxes which haven't been touched in years really aren't that important, and really are that heavy. A semester-in-retrospect Scrapbook is a good project though, with 1-2 key assignments in all subjects, and then a student-authored blurb about what they remember from those lessons. You can be fun and crafty and artsy while making these, and they will really highlight your best progress. Until the time comes to make your scrapbook (say, always on Dec.10th or May 10th), keep "large assignments" in a file folder or box to be sorted through, and then as you start to accumulate the scrapbooks, keep them prominently displayed in the home-school room. If you are keeping every single assignment as you have stated, you may have to thin out the selection before your child picks which ones s/he wants to include in this semester's scrapbook.
I would suggest electronically.
Snapshots of everything you did. Books read, subjects completed, class schedule of what was done when. Do everything daily so you don't have to do two different logs. Everything Posted as its own calendar day.
One other option: Let the child write the list of books completed. It's good practice and it also gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Bookkeeping? Sorry but you lost me there. We just read the lessons and did the worksheets, tests, reports, etc.. At the end of the year (I'm not sure if this was every year) we were evaluated by a public school teacher. I don't remember Mom keeping track of anything, but maybe she did and I just don't remember. I'm not sure A, A, A, A, A, A, A would have needed kept track of, though.
I think our library did a summer reading log thing but I don't remember. We wrote the titles down ourselves. We just went in (every week it seemed, for years) and picked out what books we wanted to read. I love reading (even got grounded from it once) so I'd come home with a full bag of books every week, and still be going through the books we had at home.
I'm sentimental so I'd want to keep everything and keep it organized and give it to her at graduation. haha
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - Part of the reason for bookkeeping, even though it isn't required in my state, is because we are military. I realize we will move around, and the next state might have stricter requirements, and I want to be prepared. Audits are also a possibility, and though we are a member of (so represented by) the HSLDA, I also think it's just conscientious to keep a record just in case.
It will also be necessary when she is older for high school transcripts and college application. I figure it's a learn as we go process.
But all this tedium? YUCK!!
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - I would think that if you're keeping her work, it would speak for itself, as would her grades on any standardized tests she takes. (I think homeschooled kids still have to take them, but I could be mistaken).
You could buy or even make up your own grade planner like teachers have. I "bopped over" to Amazon.com and searched "grade book for teachers". They carry them and it may give you some ideas. I'm sure you could make up your own and fine tune it to better suit your own needs, provided you have access to a printer. But basically, they have space for dates, what the assignment was, and the grade earned. They also have a separate row for each student, but you could list the different subjects instead.
I have no advice re bookkeeping but laud you for your effort. DO keep it up. You will notice a tremendous difference in the learning and social skills of your daughter that is to her advantage and only increases as the homeschooled years pass. Get to know others in your neighborhood or town, if you haven't already, and you will find that many more are doing it than you thought and co-operation and shared tasks with other homeschooling parents is part of the joy of it.
@Endrath@xanga - I have read your comment over and over again. Thank you for your very thoughtful and well-researched (yay Mom!) answer.
I was overwhelmed by it. HAHA!
I can't tell you yet. I'm starting homeschooling with my oldest this fall and I'm going to see how things go as far as the bookkeeping side of things goes. I might end up doing excel spreadsheets and printing them off each week or something like that. As for keeping art/homework, my mom (who homeschooled me) told me to keep the best piece for each week and then at the end of the month evaluate which one out of those is the best and keep that one and toss the rest.
I was home-schooled myself for several early years and while I think it has had some advantages in my ability and interest to learn, especially words and reading, some of the disadvantages are also clear to see.
The disadvantages of home-schooling are that they cannot receive proper degreed care (if you are the one schooling) and they have no peer contact or the ability to make new friends within your home or how to handle emotional conflicts with kids their own age.
Social skills and manners with others IMHO are as important if not more important than education in the early years of schooling.
Home Schooling can also wear both you and your child out if you are not familiar with how to pace both yourself and them for the studies you have planned.
The advantages are you may have a stronger study with your child and you can literally give them the direct one-on-one guidance to help them through difficult areas and that might give them an edge if and when they are ready to enter or re-enter school.
It can definitely form a closer bond between you and your child too as at some point they are going to realize you are patiently teaching them things that will be vitally important later in life.
It's up to you. I certainly wouldn't do it alone but get a friend, a good one, to help you with this. Good Luck ! ◙ ≡
@dw817@xanga - Thank you for your input, but this isn't a pro/con on homeschooling. I was homeschooled myself, from 4th grade through high school graduation. I went on to college and graduated with a degree as well (not in childhood education though). I am well versed in what I am doing, and I'm not doing it alone. I have the full support of my husband, legal representation, and family and friends who support us as well.
I'm sorry that your experience was not positive. I believe that has almost everything to do with the intention of the parent(s).
I'm simply looking for a better way to document the process.
I highly suggest going digital, I know google has a great calender and document system but its only 2gigs I think so I think using micosoft office would work well for you(or open office). Pen and paper is such a drag and hard to have back up copies of it.
Just find out from the state what requirements, or markers, should be met. Some states require testing, but kindergarten doesn't fall into that category. I have one I should have home schooled, but, you may reach a point with her where she has other ideas she'd like to explore. Like maybe attending a foreign language at your local public school. You can do that, you know. Or for kids who are very athletic and looking for scholarships, they can attend the physical education part of school, while you meet other requirements. Join a local home schooling group. Most of them are religious based, but there are many out there that aren't and are more interested in the academic requirements than the biblical ones. Having support, people you meet with regularly, makes all the difference in the world as far as keeping up on things, having friends for your little one to do interesting activities, etc. Like science activities. Or social justice activities, like visiting nursing homes. By the time they are in high school they should have been exposed to a variety of careers, and you should know well before then what your child's aptitudes are. If she isn't a go getter in math, applying for an engineering program in college doesn't make sense. Whatever you do, have fun, include others, and listen to her if she gets tired of it.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - It wasn't a bad experience for me, albeit a different if not slightly lonely one.
If you're just looking for the ability to document the process, one avenue can be found HERE:
http://www.homeschooltracker.com/
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - I was investigating the 2nd software they have listed HERE:
http://www.homeschooltracker.com/tracker.aspx
And as near as I can tell it is a one-time fee, no requirements for updates or even a further Internet connection.
"There is no charge for updates within the current major version (6.x) and the software never expires."
Someone has reviewed the software (not the producer) HERE:
http://completeorganizingsolutions.com/2010/04/homeschool-record-keeping-with-homeschool-tracker.html
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - Macintosh ? Augh, you infidel heathen ! *Grin*
http://ipress.ua/media/gallery/full/2/2/2206124microsoft4apple41.jpg
Actually it's a lot like that. But for hacking a computer, nothing beats the IBM.
Let's see then ...
http://www.legendarylearningnow.com/home-schooling/homeschooling-planner-for-mac-users/
This looks like it might even be free software for the MAC.
I do not know if my suggestion will work for you since everyone is different, but this is what I do for my oldest. For each grade level I buy a 3-ring binder (I believe it is the one-inch size rings) and dividers for each subject.
In the front, I have a sheet that lists all the school books that are used during the year. The second sheet is the attendance record for the year (printed off somewhere from the internet) since students in my state are required to attend class (with sick days allowed) 180 days a year. When he is older, the third page will act as a progress report that I can fill out as the year goes on. The last papers are the lists of literary books read throughout the year. I just keep this list on the fridge to fill out as the books are read and when the sheet is full, I put it in the binder.
For each subject I print out a calendar page for each month I will be schooling. Then I just record what pages we did for which book on that day as well as any crafts, activities, or field trips related to that subject. When he is older, I will also include any writing projects for the subject as well.
Once you get the notebook set up, which for me is the fun part, it only takes five minutes at most to record everything for the day. It also does not take up a lot of room either. Even if both my sons are homeschooled from pre-k to senior year, all the binders from each year will fit in a single plastic bin.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - I am so glad I am not the only person that has been grounded from reading before. It was really my own fault for mouthing off to my mother that she had nothing she could ground me from. I never watched television and this was during a period where my close friends had moved and I had not yet made new ones. I know it is off topic, but I just found it funny that someone else had the same punishment.
@snarkius@xanga - Mine was for ignoring my parents when they kept telling me to put the book down and do my chores. I was determined to read whichever Harry Potter book it was in one day. (That wasn't an odd thing for me to do.)
If you finish the lessons within the year, and the kids learn the material, what's it matter how many days you spend doing it?
Did I read that right? Homeschooling attendance?
I wasn't homeschooled and have chosen not to homeschool my kids, but I think it's such a great idea. Kudos to you for wanting to teach your kids at home!
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - Almost all states have a required number of attendance days per school year. It's part of the compulsory attendance laws. Homeschooling really isn't just a matter of taking your kids out of school and teaching them at home. There can be a lot of legalities you have to know so your rights are protected and your family is safe from outside/government intrusion.
@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - The technical wordingof the law is nonaccredited schools (which homeschooling falls under in this state) are supposed to have a "substantial equivalent" to public school which is 186 days of no less than six hours a day. I have never heard of the state actually enforcing it. I guess they have the law written the way it is so parents cannot claim they are homeschooling but not actually teaching children. The only record keeping required is a one-time single-page registration so local law enforcement can't accuse a student of truancy.
My senior year had the toughest workload and I was still only working 4-5 hours with the very rare six hour day and I finished a month ahead of public school even though I started later. If I had been homeschooled for the entirety of my education and had to follow the legal requirements of attendance, I would have graduted at the age of eleven. I just do not think the state realizes how much quicker things go when only a couple children are being taught instead of thirty.
@snarkius@xanga - We had tests and evaluations to make sure we were "keeping up" with public school (cue laughter). As far as I remember, we only spent a few hours each day on schoolwork but my sister and I were ahead of the public school kids. I'm a quick learner; public school was painfully slow for me.
@dw817@xanga - My sister and I were active in sports (mainly gymnastics, bowling, and softball) and we went on homeschooling field trips. We also had a couple friends who were also homeschooled and we could sometimes even stay at each other's houses on "school nights".
I'm "socially retarded" on account of being "just like my father". In contrast, my sister is a social butterfly and never lacking for friends.
this is why we should pay teachers more...you have to do all this for one kiddo and they have typically 22 more in their classes....