jewel7123 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 We just started K and already I have a mountain of paperwork.....various craft projects, worksheets printed out from the internet as well as a few completed workbooks. I'm just curious as to how everyone stores the paperwork? Any creative ideas such as a scrapbook, etc. to show work accomplished over the year? I'm looking for ideas..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Truthfully? I pitch them. I might save something very sweet but with 7 kids if I saved everything they'd be filming us for Hoarders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Barb B Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Toss away! Exept something especially cute . . . Also, if it is a text that one doesn't write in. My oldest will be in 12th grade and I couldn't imagine keeping most of his school stuff - we wouldn't have room! I did think - keep some art work and written stories and such - you will get a good laugh later! Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Amber* Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 The plan is to hole punch it and put into a binder for a notebook, at the end of the year we will save a few of each subject and keep it and the rest will go. I do this because I am never sure what state we will end up in and if we are in a state that requires portfolios I want to have them. (DH has itchy feet and likes to move up in position every 2-4 years.) This is the plan anyway we will see how it goes after this year. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Kirsten~ Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 We have a portfolio review twice per year with our county, and I'm using that as a springboard to save the "best of the best," so to speak. I'm limiting myself to a 1/2" binder, which means that only a couple of examples per subject make it in the binder. I think it will be really nice to have a scrapbook kind of documentation in the future also. Thus far, and this is early for us as we only have 1 folder for K, I've recycled all the consumable workbooks and worksheets and such. We have a few pages from each, or copies, in the binder. I've made a "collage" of artwork and taken a picture of it, which also goes in the binder. I'll be honest and admit that I've yet to recycle last semester's artwork. So that's in a huge pile. But I'm going to photograph a bunch of it, collage-style, and then I'll shamelessly toss the rest. At least that's what I'm telling myself! We started an art wall recently, and I'm thinking I can take semi-regular pictures of that, which will alleviate my guilt about throwing it all away. I have to keep it long enough, though, so that the girls don't have their feelings hurt and don't miss it when it's gone. :001_smile: It's tough for me to really embrace the idea of recycling/tossing so much of their work, but I'm trying to prevent future burial in paperwork. Besides, the more papers I ditch, the more books I can store. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I keep some and toss the rest. With pre-k and K stuff I three hole punch it and put it in a three inch binder. We moved from a big house with an attic to a very tiny small house with no attic, so I'm having to toss workbooks and such. I take pictures of some of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aquiverfull Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I've also kept some and tossed some. I've kept all my dds workbooks over the past years. They are stored in rubbermaid crates in the barn. We've kept some loose papers and for paper craft projects we took pictures of them and then tossed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 So far, I have a 1 in binder for each subject, and when it's full, or when DD finishes a workbook, I go through and reduce to the best. What I've noticed is that a lot of the K worksheets really aren't all that interesting-lots of connecting lines, circling, and so on, so I'm trying to save the cute drawing, free writing (or dictating to me and then copying, which is what we're doing a lot of), and so on. My plan at the end of the year is to reduce those 1 in binders down to a summary of the year, and then start over. I know when I was a ps student, we saved 1 sample at the beginning of the year and 1 at the end of the year of writing, and then got our folder in 12th grade when we graduated. It was kind of neat to go through the progression, so I plan to do something similar for my DD, only with one sample in each subject area each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I made a "yearbook" of sorts for my son for K-2nd grade. I did it digitally and included pictures of our trips, lessons, him working, I also scanned some of his work and included a sample of his writing. I am planning on doing the same thing for 3-5th grade. I will include writing samples from each year as well as a math lesson or two, maybe pictures of other projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof8 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I throw out everything except a few great pieces of work in each subject. I will then make a portfolio for each of the kids each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellyndria Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 So far, I'm just putting the workbooks and any odd papers into those plastic expandible files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneGabe Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I'm posting before I read the thread just to say thanks for starting this thread! lol I was just going to start one even though I know I've read one just like this in the past. I searched for it but couldn't find it. I've tossed the bulk of our worksheets and crafts (after taking pictures) just because the piles were getting insane. But now I'm feeling guilty about that and wondering if I should keep more! Ok, off to read the responses now :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Right now I just throw any and all paper work away (wow I sound horrible :confused:) I do save workbooks. I figure if for any reason I ever had to prove anything, I would have those. Our state does not require anything like that, but you never know what could happen! We right now have workbooks organized by kid in boxes stacked in my ex classroom (it got way to small way to fast) I figure I will save them for 2 years then start tossing 1 year at a time so I always have 2 years worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I saved the coolest things in a box in the attic and have always thrown out all the rest. I do not do clutter. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Not only do I save very little, I try really hard to make very little. I think really cutting back on the amount of paper each student uses is an excellent reason to homeschool. We do lots of things on dry erase boards or page protectors. Many lessons we do orally. Others we do together so only one copy is needed instead of 3 or 4. Lots of writing work is done entirely on the computer and only a few finished stories are printed out and saved each year. Even workbooks can often be done with much less paper using our own paper instead of the workbook pages (like WWE). The few workbooks that are used when the older kid has finished are often handed right over to the little kids for thier own "school." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I put there work in a binder (in page protectors) and at the end of the semester, I take it over to FedEd/Kinkos to have it spiral bound into a "book". Mostly it's L/A (copywork, narration, original writing - no grammar/phonics/worksheets like that), science (lab notes, nature study entries), history (maps, coloring pages from SOTW, narrations), and Latin. I have saved their completed math workbooks. I'm thinking of taking the review pages at the end of each unit (Singapore) and putting that in their binders so they have some examples of the type of math they were doing at the time, but I'm not sure yet. Thus far I have held only HWOT and ETC workbooks as well, but those will probably get ditched soon. The boys loving having their "books" from the school year - they often pull them off the shelf and look through or show them to grandparents. We don't need to keep anything or show portfolios, but we all love looking and seeing how far they have come in their growth and development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSM-Crissy Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Truthfully? I pitch them. I might save something very sweet but with 7 kids if I saved everything they'd be filming us for Hoarders. You crack me up! I probably would be watching you considering, I get glued to that show! :lol: Suggestion: Scan the art/pages that you want to keep! I am just starting K this year and I'm not even sure how I'm going to keep things. A friend of mine is using a binder for all the child's work, but then that gets big and bulky...I'm still on the fence! I guess most of it is trial and error and what works for you, but I'm totally for the keeping less paperwork!!! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSM-Crissy Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I put there work in a binder (in page protectors) and at the end of the semester, I take it over to FedEd/Kinkos to have it spiral bound into a "book". Mostly it's L/A (copywork, narration, original writing - no grammar/phonics/worksheets like that), science (lab notes, nature study entries), history (maps, coloring pages from SOTW, narrations), and Latin. I have saved their completed math workbooks. I'm thinking of taking the review pages at the end of each unit (Singapore) and putting that in their binders so they have some examples of the type of math they were doing at the time, but I'm not sure yet. Thus far I have held only HWOT and ETC workbooks as well, but those will probably get ditched soon. The boys loving having their "books" from the school year - they often pull them off the shelf and look through or show them to grandparents. We don't need to keep anything or show portfolios, but we all love looking and seeing how far they have come in their growth and development. Love love love the idea of making them into a book!!!! Thanks!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Love love love the idea of making them into a book!!!! Thanks!!! :) Anytime. :D I started at the end of the year before this last one; ds#1 and ds#2 each have 3 books thus far. I think we might start one for ds#3 this year, but his will be for the whole year because he doesn't do a lot right now for PreK that would be bound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I put there work in a binder (in page protectors) and at the end of the semester, I take it over to FedEd/Kinkos to have it spiral bound into a "book". Mostly it's L/A (copywork, narration, original writing - no grammar/phonics/worksheets like that), science (lab notes, nature study entries), history (maps, coloring pages from SOTW, narrations), and Latin. I have saved their completed math workbooks. I'm thinking of taking the review pages at the end of each unit (Singapore) and putting that in their binders so they have some examples of the type of math they were doing at the time, but I'm not sure yet. Thus far I have held only HWOT and ETC workbooks as well, but those will probably get ditched soon. The boys loving having their "books" from the school year - they often pull them off the shelf and look through or show them to grandparents. We don't need to keep anything or show portfolios, but we all love looking and seeing how far they have come in their growth and development. Any idea about how much this would cost? We do binders for WWE and history and something like this sounds like a nice way to show progression. I do have to be able to document for the state so I do save much more than I should. I am trying to eliminate and condense for this coming year, my closet is almost full. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Put 'em in big plastic bins and save 'em for posterity? Seriously, I've looked back at a lot of things over the years and I know that I'll want to keep some things. Now that my oldest has graduated, I'll begin going back through his things and pitching stuff I don't need. I always saved everything just in case we were ever "audited', that is, in case there was ever any problem or question about what we were doing school-wise. And I thought I might need to look back for ideas when it was time to school my younger son, who is six years behind the older one in school. But now I'm ready to just pull out those things I want to scrapbook and pitch the rest.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Any idea about how much this would cost? We do binders for WWE and history and something like this sounds like a nice way to show progression. I do have to be able to document for the state so I do save much more than I should. I am trying to eliminate and condense for this coming year, my closet is almost full. :D I don't remember (which is really sad because I just made their latest books a few weeks ago!), but I am pretty sure it was less than $10 a kid - I want to say around $6 or $7 per book, but don't quote me on that. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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