Question on record keeping

[golfcartmama]

I have read the recent posts on homeschool planners and as a newbie I am overwhelmed by just getting all of the curriculum together, etc. That said, I am a planner and I do like to check boxes!

 

My question is if you have your ideal notebook/planner for you (I will probably create my own this year!), what would you include? I know lesson plans and annual/semester goals, but I'm confused on reading lists, grade keeping/test scores, etc. Also, do I keep 2 separate book lists for reading...one he read on his own and one I read to him? Do you have a field trip section, and if so do you include goals for them? My state requires an annual report, but we don't have to submit it to anyone (crazy, I know...), so what do I include in that?

 

I know I can't be the only obsessive one out there! :lol:

[Tam101]

My state requires us to keep records, but no one ever asks to see them. Guess if you ever were hauled into court you would need them!

 

That said I'm using Skedtrack this year. It has plenty of boxes to check! :lol: It also has a system for grading, tracking books and videos, lesson plans and scheduling field trips. You can even have the kids check their own calendar and check their own boxes. ;)

 

For book list's I keep two. One for assigned reading that would go along with history or science ect. The other is fun reading which could include read alouds and child choice.

[GoVanGogh]

I made my own record journal, as I couldn't find any that I liked. (We school year-round and I wanted to be able to record things all year, not just 32 or so weeks like many planners on the market.)

I used some forms from Donna Young's website and made others myself. Ex: I wanted my day columns to run vertical, not horizontal. (How OCD is that?! :tongue_smilie:)

 

My planner... from cover to cover...

 

One page with the months of the year and what plays are being performed at what theater, so I can plan our literature selections accordingly.

 

Calendar of entire year, which I record days of school and number of field trips.

 

Month by month planner...

I have a calendar for each month w/projected field trips and days of school penciled in. I note at the top what field trips (art galleries, plays, museums, etc) are timely that month. This is the page that I record our actual school days. (We don't have to per state regulations, just do for my own information.)

Next page is a list of extracurricular activities for the month.

Next page is books read. I keep one list, just mark my child's initial if he read it.

Then the next few pages are our actual school days. I record as we go along, as I am not a great 'pre-planner.' :D

 

At the end, I have a list of field trips - place, location, cost, theme (science, theater, history, fine arts, etc) and any related books we read re: the field trip.

[Ellie]

My question is if you have your ideal notebook/planner for you (I will probably create my own this year!), what would you include? I know lesson plans and annual/semester goals, but I'm confused on reading lists, grade keeping/test scores, etc.

Not all of us do lesson plans. In fact, most hsers don't need lesson plans, other than a sort of checklist on what they'll do next.

 

Annual/semester goals? Never did 'em. Never needed them. Never missed them.

 

Below high school level, most of us don't do grades. It is possible to do state-required evaluations and whatnot without grades.

Also, do I keep 2 separate book lists for reading...one he read on his own and one I read to him?

Do you need to provide those in your state-required report? If not, don't worry about it. If so, keep a short likst of both; the state doesn't need to know every.single.thing you do.

 

Do you have a field trip section, and if so do you include goals for them?

Goals for field trips??? I have no idea what that might look like. We did weekly field trips and just enjoyed them. If we were working on a Camp Fire badge, the requirements of the badge would be the goal. Otherwise, IMHO we get the most out of field trips if we just go and enjoy ourselves.

My state requires an annual report, but we don't have to submit it to anyone (crazy, I know...), so what do I include in that?

Whatever you want.:D You could keep a bibliography of texts or other instructional materials (that might be helpful information for you later on), handouts/brochures from field trips, maybe a sample of any written work your dc did...anything that might help *you* figure out where you came from and where you're going.

 

I know I can't be the only obsessive one out there! :lol:

No, you aren't:lol:but my first introduction to homeschooling was John Holt, so I became compulsively obsessively as opposite of anything that looks like school as possible.:D

Edited June 11, 2010 by Ellie

[mom31257]

I, too, just made my own planner for next year because I could not find the one I wanted. I am buying Good News Planners for each of my kids, though. I had mine comb-bound for durability. It was so much fun making it!

 

Here is what I included in my own planner. I made the pages up myself, but they were all based on other ideas I had seen.

 

Yearly Overview as a family

Yearly Overview for each child

Summer Activity Log

Summer Reading Logs for each child

Monthly Planner for the whole year for the things we do together (art, music, poetry, devotions, history/science projects)

Semester Planners for their individual subjects

2 Page spread for each week

Page on Left has Outside Appts, Supplies, Weekly Priorities, Subjects done together

Page on Right has plans for each child and individual subject

After each quarter:

Grade Record for each child

Reading Log for each child

At the end:

Year Summary for each child

Outside Activity Log for each child

Memorization Log for each child

Project Log

Field Trip Log

Items Borrowed/Loaned Out

Goals for future grades for each

Lined and Blank pages for notes/planning

a couple of thin pocket pages that had to be cut down

[golfcartmama]

Thank you! Now, I have an idea of where to start!