for those who are not required to keep records...what DO you keep?

[jackson'smama]

I don't have to keep a record of anything, including attendance.  so, just curious what I maybe should be keeping that I'm not???  I have a 3rd grader, 1st grader, and preschooler.  I am looking back at folders today (as well as baby books!) and ordering a backlog of about 1000 pictures and it got me thinking about what I should be keeping a record of even at this age....just in case the school board would begin asking or what you as a veteran (or your older children) like to look back and see, what you wish you'd had when you got to a certain point, etc...  what's burning in my brain now is keeping a reading log - just so I can keep track of what we've read/want to read....but that seems a bit much to tackle considering the vast amount of reading we can do in just a day sometimes. 

just curiosity nosing around here! 

[Farrar]

We sort of have to keep records.  Supposedly the not-a-state office of the superintendent can ask to review them, but they have never reviewed anyone's.  Still, I like to keep a few records anyway.

 

I keep a portfolio per kid each year.  Just a thin binder.  Every two or three months, we pull them out and update them.  We put in:

* a few child chosen samples of math, writing, and various other work and art

* a few mom chosen samples of the same (overall, not more than 10-15 pieces of paper usually)

* a list of the classes currently being taken (soccer team, piano lessons, etc.)

* a list of the books being read aloud or the longer books being read independently

* a 1-2 sentences summary of each subject, such as, "For history, we studied World War II and the start of the Cold War.  We used a variety of books and videos, including A History of US by Joy Hakim and Bomb by Steve Sheinkin."

 

By the end of the year, we toss in special projects or pictures of special projects.  That's pretty much it.  Works for us.  Helps me throw everything else away.

[EKS]

I kept all written work as well as a record of everything done each day.  I then wrote a report at the end of each year detailing the highlights as well as listing all of the resources and books used.  I've found the reports to be very helpful.  For example, I'll look at them when someone on here wants suggestions for books for a certain grade level.  I also used them when my younger son applied to a private school.  They wanted report cards for the previous two years so I gave them copies of the reports.

[Ellie]

Not a single thing.

[Desert Strawberry]

I have all of their completed workbooks. This year, we have moved away from workbooks. I will keep their writing notebooks, nature journals, narration notebooks, anything that is their original work. Not for record keeping, but for their futures. 

 

I have a binder with assignments, dates, calendars, project deadlines, etc. If someone were to knock on the door, I could pull out my binder and the children's current work. I think that should be sufficient.

 

Most of their work now is nonrecordable. Oral lessons, independent reading, discussion, online studies (free sites, not formal classes). There's nothing to save.

[Farrar]

I'll add...  I'm not especially worried about CPS or the OSSE or anything like that...  the thing that record keeping does for me is that every few months, when I sit down to do it, I get to have a moment of, "Look how much we've done!"  And it's like giving myself a nice pat on the back.  Look, I am doing things, the kids are making progress, we're not just slacking off even if we didn't manage to do anything other than math last week, we're really doing a great job!  Whew.  So I find it really useful in that sense more than anything else.  And the kids look at them and feel the same thing.  They get all proud, which, really, they deserve to be able to do every once in awhile.

[FriedClams]

Nothing. I keep testing results, but this year we missed testing due to a family emergency. When my BFF put her kids in a good charter school the school had the kids tested on everything anyway for placement, so I don't sweat it anymore. Now that we're nearing HS I keep grades for mandatory things - this year algebra 1. I'll have to do more of that as we go on.

[CrunchyGirl]

I keep a notebook where I write down each day what we've done, I keep all their written work in a binder, and math books (if we write in them) for the most recent grade level completed. Periodically I will scan everything (my scanner auto feeds 50 pages at a time) and keep it electronically so I don't drown in paper.

 

We are not required to keep or track anything but I do so for three reasons: 1) our circumstances may change someday meaning we may need to put them in school. Both kids will likely need significant academic accommodation. I consider it my responsibility to keep records so I can effectively advocate for them. 2) The rules may change someday and I'll already be in good shape. 3) A comprehensive outline of what I did with each kid gives me a starting point for the next kid.

 

Seriously though keeping records takes 5 minutes a day. It's my insurance.

[Ellie]

ETA:  I did this for my own satisfaction, not because of legal requirements. In Texas we don't need to keep any records at all.  But I'm a little bit paranoid about being challenged by school districts or CPS, so I have always kept records - just enough to "prove" that I'm doing my job, kwim?

 

But in Texas, none of those records would "prove" anything, because the issue would not be whether or not you could prove that you're doing your job. It would be whether or not it is legal to teach your children at home in the first place.

 

Here is THSC's page, "Government Agency Directives." THSC also advises hsers to send a "Letter of Assurance" to nosy schools/school districts who want more information than the law allows.

 

Which is not to say that HSLDA membership isn't advisable, because it is. Both THSC and HSLDA are kept busy with their Texas members, but in none of those cases have parent-kept records been part of the process of protecting the parents' right to teach their children at home.

 

You should keep the records that help you go where you want to go and keep track of your children's progress, but you shouldn't keep them because you might have to prove that you're doing your job, because they won't. :-)

[The Girls' Mom]

For my own benefit only, I keep a few tests, a few writing samples, and some artwork. I also keep track of field trips and volunteering. I have no interest in having an entire room set aside for things I've kept..lol. I've found that that kind of stuff adds up quick when you have three kids times thirteen years!

[arnold]

Nothing.

[texasmama]

I keep a representative of my kids' work and a list of curricula/subjects completed for the year.  I tear the front covers off of workbooks and three hold punch these and put them in a binder.  They get one medium sized binder each per year of school. 

 

I do this not for anyone but them (and me, a little bit).  My mom always kept similar examples of my work throughout my school career, and I enjoy having this.  Someday, they can have these binders and do whatever they want with them, including throw them in the trash.  It will be their choice. 

 

Keeping any records are entirely optional in Texas, but I am following the example of my own dear mother because I appreciated that she did this.  I don't expect anyone "official" to view them ever.

 

ETA: We have plenty of attic storage.

[Farrar]

I keep a book list and all of my kids' completed tangible work. I really love the idea of creating a portfolio that looks pretty and shows progress. The kids like to look at their old workbooks and note books to see how far they've come, but I think they'd like a portfolio with pictures and stuff even better. Farrar, care to share pictures of what you've done? :)

 

I have a very old post from my blog here that you can see some of them.

 

I have a few posts like that where I'm like, I should really update this...  I just realized it's nearly three years old now.  But the basics are still the same.  My kids also now write their own little assessment in there too where they say what they learned and what they're proud of.  Typed, it's usually still half a page at best.

[Garga]

PA homeschooler here.

 

1. A list of all the books the boys read. Not too hard. I use an excel sheet.

 

2. A log. Some people just print out a chart with 180 boxes and put in a check mark every day they do school. I like to have a little more for myself, so I number the books (in the excel chart) and in my 180 boxes (also an excel chart), I enter in the corresponding number showing which books were read on which day. Not a biggie. If we do a field trip, I write that in there. If we watch a movie or a Bill Nye episode or whatever, I put that in the box, too.

 

3. A portfolio with 3 samples of work for each subject in it that show progression. A writing assignment from the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. I'll also put in brochures from any field trips in there.

 

4. I like to write up a tiny summary/list of the curric we used for a subject. If we didn't use a curric, I'll say what we did do.

 

PA doesn't necessarily need the summary, but I can go back and remember what I did with the oldest and decide whether we'll use it with the youngest.

[boscopup]

My cover school (Alabama - required, at least until recent law change) wants us to keep records of what we've done each semester. We used to have to turn this in, but then they changed it a couple years ago to the parents keeping these records. Guess who didn't do them the last 2 years? :lol: I have gone back and filled in my oldest son's. My middle son only needs this year done, because K doesn't require records (school isn't required until age 6). I'm getting them ready because I will either be changing cover schools this summer or becoming my own private school, depending on how the new law pans out (waiting to see what is involved in becoming a private school). Either way, I'd have to turn in my records that I was supposed to be keeping the last 2 years, so my cover school can then turn them over to the next cover school or back to me as a private school - whichever direction I end up going.

 

For the records, all I did was go look back in HST+, where much of my planning is done (but not all is there), and I wrote down a one-page summary of the 6 months, including curricula used and how far we got. Or in the case of something like science, I might just put "library books on various topics". Since everything is on one page, it's very, very short. It also includes our attendance, since the state requires attendance (technically "days absent", but most folks keep track of days attended).

 

If we were to go back to school, the school would place them at grade level by age (which would be appropriate due to asynchronous development... my kid can't do the output required for the grade level input he is capable of). I can't imagine them wanting to see any of the actual work. If they wanted to place him differently in math or something, I'm sure they could test him themselves. My oldest is about to take his first standardized test, whenever it arrives, so I'd keep that as well.

 

I do find writing up the one-page summary of a semester to be useful in showing me how much we accomplished that semester. I don't think it would be useful for a b&m school determining placement, but again, I think it's their job to determine that based on what they're using (just like it was my job to determine placement in curricula I was using when I pulled my son out of b&m school). If I sent my son back to the private school he used to attend, they could easily give him the Saxon Math placement test, and I would even suggest it! After all, the Prealgebra my son is doing is nothing like Saxon, so they would really need to test him with a Saxon placement test rather than relying on what I say.

 

I don't keep any work for CPS purposes or anything like that. I'm following the law, and the law doesn't specify what you have to do for school. You just have to register with a "church cover school" and report any days absent. Easy peasy.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I find the idea of keeping nothing quite sad. It never occurred to me to throw everything away. Even if my kids were in school, I would keep some things, maintain a scrapbook of childhood. I love to look back on my own mementos. Just a couple of months ago, going through an old box, I stumbled upon school papers from the 6th grade, and reading through them provided me with a nice little reality check about my expectations for DS11 next year. And reading my literary analysis papers from my senior year was...humbling, to say the least.

 

Anyway, I am another who keeps a representative sample for different subjects.

[Mommy_of_4]

I don't keep anything.

[a27mom]

I have a plastic storage box for each child that I put momentos and special things in. Since learning is a lifestyle thing for us, I add some "school" papers to that box. But very few, maybe 5 or so for the school year. I also have a blank book for each child that I update occasionally, at least every few months, sometimes more often. I write about the progress they are making, curriculum we are using, field trips, interests etc... Like I said it is sporadic, sometimes just one short page for a couple months. Sometimes a breakthrough will occur or I will feel like writing and I'll write more.

 

My state doesn't require any registration or records. But I like a bit of nostalgia so I keep a few things. I don't like clutter though so I don't keep much.

[Lieutenant Stranger]

We do not have to keep records. Or anything.

 

I keep all their work-- and since everything is either in a workbook, or spiral-bound, it makes it easy. I have EVERY SINGLE WORKBOOK in a container in my closet. Also keep old science fair journals, etc. I feel like it is SHOWING what we've done.

 

In the past, I kept track of extra-curriculars and field trips, but not so much anymore. 

[Ellie]

I find the idea of keeping nothing quite sad. It never occurred to me to throw everything away. Even if my kids were in school, I would keep some things, maintain a scrapbook of childhood. I love to look back on my own mementos. Just a couple of months ago, going through an old box, I stumbled upon school papers from the 6th grade, and reading through them provided me with a nice little reality check about my expectations for DS11 next year. And reading my literary analysis papers from my senior year was...humbling, to say the least.

 

Anyway, I am another who keeps a representative sample for different subjects.

 

I have their Camp Fire books and uniforms with badges, and some of their Missionettes stuff. I have medals earned in Highland dance (and some assorted kilts and whatnot). I have pictures from camp, program booklets from ballet recitals, and pictures of marching band events, and the 75th celebration of Camp Fire and Camp Fire outings. So I don't have *nothing.* I just never felt a need to keep anything that looked like school (although I do, of course, have college graduation pictures) :-)

[kirstenhill]

I am a "keeper" by nature so I have saved a ton of stuff...One of my goals for the summer is to go through and simplify what I have for DD into a few key things for each year. I want to keep her lapbooks and other special projects.  I think I would like for her to be able to look back at a few samples of math, writing, etc and be able to see how much she has grown and learned through the years.   But I am saying this as a person who has kept binder upon binder of kids artwork because i just hate throwing it out...So we'll see how successful I am at parting with the large piles of stuff that I have kept!

[Scook86]

I keep any art that isn't just scribbles. Ds isn't very artsy so there's not much. I also like to keep his writings, whether it's a story he made up or just a handwriting practice sheet. I think it's cute to look back on how his handwriting has improved and the silly stories he told.

[Mommy_of_4]

I find the idea of keeping nothing quite sad. It never occurred to me to throw everything away. Even if my kids were in school, I would keep some things, maintain a scrapbook of childhood. I love to look back on my own mementos. Just a couple of months ago, going through an old box, I stumbled upon school papers from the 6th grade, and reading through them provided me with a nice little reality check about my expectations for DS11 next year. And reading my literary analysis papers from my senior year was...humbling, to say the least.

 

Anyway, I am another who keeps a representative sample for different subjects.

I do not keep any school worksheets or writings. I do keep some art stuff but I do not consider that school stuff. My kids draw multiple pictures a day so I always keep a couple from the week. I personally keep things that will bring back fun memories for the kids like their drawings, little craft projects, etc. I honestly don't think my kids would care about seeing worksheets they did as 6yrs old years from now but I do think they would enjoy their little art & craft projects , which I would keep even if we didn't homeschool.

[boscopup]

I do take pictures of particularly good writing or pictures, etc. I'm not keeping "nothing", but I'm not being like my parents and keeping every single paper brought home.

[mrsduenes06]

We use Christian Light for Math and Language Arts, and their workbook system which includes tests and quizzes is very easy to keep.  I keep the completed workbooks on hand during the year, but file the quizzes/tests separately in a folder. At the end of the year I will probably get rid of the workbooks, but it is nice to show my son how far he has progressed by looking through old workbooks (he's in 1st grade).

[Dmmetler]

I had to do a portfolio last year for an outside program (where I needed work samples/photographs/video links, etc. with a short explanation of each), and liked the results so much that I plan to do it again, just for DD). I also keep an expandable folder each year with a few samples for each area that DD picks, after which we take a photo of all the work/books for the year that we're not keeping, the books go to the stack to sell, and the other stuff gets recycled. Although this year's "enormous pile of paper" won't be as enormous because she did more on the computer this year, and the literature books were mostly classics that she read on her Kindle.

[Spryte]

I'll add...  I'm not especially worried about CPS or the OSSE or anything like that...  the thing that record keeping does for me is that every few months, when I sit down to do it, I get to have a moment of, "Look how much we've done!"  And it's like giving myself a nice pat on the back.  Look, I am doing things, the kids are making progress, we're not just slacking off even if we didn't manage to do anything other than math last week, we're really doing a great job!  Whew.  So I find it really useful in that sense more than anything else.  And the kids look at them and feel the same thing.  They get all proud, which, really, they deserve to be able to do every once in awhile.

 

This is the very best reason for record keeping.  :)

[Momof3littles]

I'm in a state that requires record keeping.  I'll toss what we do out there in case it helps.

 

Log of instructional days (I just check at least 180 boxes)

Log of books read

A few samples from each subject.  For things like writing, I try to include a few more creative writing samples, including some poetry (we do MCT, so we usually  have some samples), and then pieces written about various historical figures, etc.  I could include far fewer samples than I do (for ex, a well done written essay about a historical figure includes grammar, history, "writing," spelling, etc.).  However, many SDs are very much of a "school" mindset, and if one puts in a sample essay of a historical figure, the SD will then ask where evidence is for "writing."  They have trouble if it isn't neatly broken out into standard schooly subjects.

 

My kids study art as part of a co-op, and they paint something on their own related to the movement, artist, technique, etc. studied, and then write a little paragraph on the back about their painting and what technique they used, or other relevant info. Many times they write about the artist, so an "art" sample may also be a "history" sample, but I don't think my particular SD can figure that out, unfortunately, from what I've heard from other HSers in my community. It is rather ludicrous.  Many SDs don't have issues with connecting the dots and figuring out how one sample can apply to several subject.  I happen to live in a SD that has occasionally given others grief on this topic, so I divide up my port into tabbed sections labeled with required subjects to make it easy for them to check off their little rubric sheet ;) I t doesn't have to be that way, but I do it so I don't have to deal with any additional communication from them asking for samples of X, Y, Z subjects.  Sometimes I just photocopy the same writing sample and put the same piece in two different sections (writing and history for ex).  Silly, not legally necessary, but easier than dealing with communication from the SD :/  I write a summary of the field trips we've taken, any unusual or particularly exciting projects, extracurricular activities (not required, but these overlap phys ed for us, so it also serves as documentation we've completed phys ed requirements).

 

We also include the letter from our evaluator, and test results in relevant years.  This year we tested through Duke TIP (non testing year for us, but our first year doing the EXPLORE), so I am including those results even though they aren't required.

[mamaraby]

I keep a binder during the school year with our notebook pages, pockets, tests, etc. At the end of the year I go through the binders and cull. I then add in a copy of the form we filed with the state, our calendar/hours, and a list of the books, curriculum, resources, videos, classes, etc. I put in tabs, print a cover, and have it spiral bound. It goes in the memory box I keep for my kids.

 

I do it for me. I do it for my kids. Every once in awhile we bring them out and go through them again. My kids enjoy it as much as I do. We don't do scouts or any of the religious things other people do so this is our thing. It's a snapshot of our interests and it's fun.

 

I do have to be pickier lately because the size of spiral binding at the office store aren't as big as they used to be. It just requires a slightly more discerning eye when I do my culling at the end of the year.

[Tracy]

I use HST+ to organize what I have to do each week.  So at the end of the year, I print out a report of all assignments completed.  Then I pick out a few assignments to keep as a portfolio.  If they did any projects, I might throw in some pictures as a keepsake.  Everything else I throw away.  It feels really good to get rid of all that paper.  

[Spring Flower]

For me, record keeping is about planning and direction. Where have we been, were are we going?

 

At the end of K for DD6, I typed up everything we had done that year along with a reflection of the experience. What was effective? Why did I change this? Why did this fall through the cracks? What was most important? ect. I have read and re-read that reflection many times this year as we have gone through first grade. I also typed up a few goals and hopes I had at the beginning of the school year. I have revisited those goals many times this year and have been a more effective teacher for it. 

 

Now that I have DS4 coming up to K next year, I find myself looking back at what I did with DD6. Things will NOT be the same, but I feel like I have a little more direction than I did the first time around.

 

I think one of the most valuable things is to take a step back every few months and say, "How are things going?" I think reflection is what makes a great teacher. Reflection allows us to make positive changes and reevaluate our goals. To me it is much more valuable than a stack of completed papers. 

[Ewe Mama]

I keep special assignment or projects that store well, or take photos of those that are space prohibitive. I usually hang on to tests and quizzes for a year or two and then toss them. I am sentimental about drawings and learning to write letters and numbers, so I have lots of things from their younger years and much less as they have gotten older.

[pehp]

I don't really keep anything. I have kept math sheets (we do Miquon) for sentimental reasons! But I'm sure they will be recycled eventually.....

 

I do keep some handwriting sheets (we just do copywork)...to show my son the progress has had made and because I find them charming.

 

 

Most of our work is just reading, so there is nothing generated. We have a timeline made of index cards on the wall (my son illustrates each chapter of CHOW), so I keep those index cards for now, but that's for instructional purposes, not record-keeping purposes.

 

I do keep his (real--paintings, good drawings) artwork. He's a wonderful artist.

 

If I don't have to complicate my life, I won't!