trulycrabby Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Last year, I stored Ds10´s completed work in binders by subject. This year, I still use the binders, but we have been extra busy so work sometimes sits a week before getting put away. My question is, how do you store completed work? Binders? Folders? Files? By subject or by date? Thanks in advance for any help! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Recycling! The kids put their completed work in a file folder and check off each subject every day. I go over it, grade tests and quizzes and at the end of the week, I chuck it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquility7 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Recycling! The kids put their completed work in a file folder and check off each subject every day. I go over it, grade tests and quizzes and at the end of the week, I chuck it. :ohmy: Wow, really? Your kids don't have anything from their schooldays that they create and want to keep? I recently went through my old schoolwork with my kids. I mainly had things from social studies and science in 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades, since that is apparently when I had teachers who did something similar to notebooking. It was a lot of fun to look back on it all, and DS8 got a kick out of seeing my work from when I was exactly his age. He was amused by my drawings and my handwriting, as well as the content I was learning (some of the EXACT same stuff I'm teaching him now). It also gave me renewed enthusiasm for the WTM and notebooking in general. So I say... keep up with the binders. I bet you - and they - will be so glad in the long run. Not only because it is an effective way to learn and review, but also because it creates an ongoing diary of your schooling. That being said, I have the same issue you do of not getting stuff into binders as immediately as I wish (although mine definitely waits longer than a week!). Usually that stuff gets put into a particular paper tray that I keep on a shelf just for that reason. It is my "To be filed in binders" stack of stuff, I guess! Then every few weeks we go through it and put the stuff away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Yep, recycling. We keep *some* stuff- science notebooking pages (because they like to bind them into an "encyclopedia" at the end of the year), copywork is in a composition book, ect. But most of it either is tossed ASAP or gets hung on their display board a few days and then tossed at the end of the week. I do keep a few examples of top-quality work for their portfolios, but I'm talking 20-30 pages for the YEAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 :ohmy: Wow, really? Your kids don't have anything from their schooldays that they create and want to keep?.Unfortunately, no. I do put art on the wall, but none of my kids like doing "projects". They do their daily work, but we don't really do projects. Well, dd did a mosaic last month when we studied Justinian/Byzantine empire. She kept it on her dresser a week or two, then gave all the "gems" to her sisters and threw the rest away. None of them really like artsy type things (although they did seem to enjoy the print-making we did in art a couple weeks ago), they hate drawing/coloring type activities... I have weird kids, I know. They do not seem to be sentimental about anything. Trophies, team pictures, medals.... all gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I pile it up all year in a stacked file thingie. Dd has the most in there. I save a lot of stuff including art and cute drawings she makes. Then at the end of the year (or more likely one week before the next year is to begin), I go through and keep a random sampling of each subject, three hole punch it and place it in a binder. I tear the front covers off of completed workbooks such as our Singapore math and discard the rest of the workbook. I do not organize it well or by date or even much by subject. I write a list of all curriculum they did, sports or music lessons and put in in the binder. Then I take a Sharpie and write "Joe Blow, 5th grade, 2013-2014" on the binder. I have storage space so keeping these is not a problem. They are scattered in random places throughout the house. This is my compromise as a busy mama who also wants to save some things for my kids. If they don't want it when they are grown, it will not bother me if they toss it. I did not spend much time doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 last year we completed work mostly on loose leaf and it was filed per subject in a filing crate. This year we are using spiral bound notebooks per subject. No filing required. We are liking it so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 The recycle bin? I am only partly joking. I used to keep everything. Now I toss almost all of it. The exceptions are the history/science/nature notebooks. They've got some cool stuff in there, and they will occasionally re-read the notebooks, so I keep those on a bookshelf with some of their other books. But the rest? OUT. I don't have room or the patience for it, I don't want to keep it, and I'm not legally required to keep a portfolio, so it goes away. They get to do the Recycle Dance when they finish anything that can be recycled. :D Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thank you all very. Much! I am not ready to recycle, so unless I see something compelling, will continue using the binders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Completed work goes right back/stays in the binder it came from. Twice a year I pick out "best" examples and stick those in his portfolio. At the end of the year, I recycle everything in the binders. Who wants to look at old math worksheets (or as it is now, just answers in a spiral bound notebook)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolingHearts&Minds Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Hmmm...I think it depends upon your kids and your attitude towards their work. My kids don't like it when I throw away things that they've spent their time and energy on, and I completely understand that. I take that into account when planning what their written output will be---if it's not worth my keeping, why am I asking them to invest in it? My teen would be p*$%ed if I expected him to do his best for an assignment and then I just checked it off and threw it away. Now, there are ways around that. For instance, we do a lot of math on whiteboards and orally so that there isn't so much wasted paper to begin with. ETA: Obviously with 4 kids I can't keep everything. But I do try to minimize the amount of stuff I would throw away. If I threw it all away, I'd have a mutiny on my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Those binders add up! I don't know anyone who wants to have THAT much of a record of their childhood. I think it's mamas who want a record of THEIR work! LOL--I'm kidding, sort of. Dd went back to school in 5th grade. We still have a nature notebook of hers and two history notebooks (SOTW narrations and such). I did keep some of my high school things--journals, poetry--but I can't imagine moving out of my home and having to take boxes and boxes of childhood worksheets, projects and artwork. But some people have trouble letting go. As it was, my husband moved a box of rocks from his childhood to every.single.house we had...and they weren't "good" rocks, just...well, ROCKS he had found as a kid! I think he finally pitched them when we moved here (he was 39 then...lol!) So, maybe condense your binders into two or three--not per year, but for her school career. Or maybe not! :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Those binders add up! I don't know anyone who wants to have THAT much of a record of their childhood. I think it's mamas who want a record of THEIR work! LOL--I'm kidding, sort of. : I couldn't do all that right now, even if I wanted to with 5 kids ages 4-11. But when we just got the boys and they were little and I was in to scrapbooking, I was making them a large scrapbook for every year of their life. And then, it occurred to me, that if I kept going at that rate they would have 18 huge scrapbooks to truck around with them, and I doubted they would appreciate that. So, I scaled way back. Now, I don't have time for any of it (hopefully I can start doing some, but right now it doesn't look too promising). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I couldn't do all that right now, even if I wanted to with 5 kids ages 4-11. But when we just got the boys and they were little and I was in to scrapbooking, I was making them a large scrapbook for every year of their life. And then, it occurred to me, that if I kept going at that rate they would have 18 huge scrapbooks to truck around with them, and I doubted they would appreciate that. So, I scaled way back. Now, I don't have time for any of it (hopefully I can start doing some, but right now it doesn't look too promising). I made all of the kids a pregnancy and first year scrapbook ala Creative Memories. Just the pg and first year of life. Well, I haven't gotten around to doing kid #4's yet, but it will happen. I have the first couple of pages done anyway. We are fortunate to have a large house and plenty of storage space so I have not run out of room. We are on year 7 of homeschooling, so the boys have 7 binders and little girl has 4. That is 18 binders so far. Yes, that is a lot. lol But we do have the space. High school will likely look different in terms of record keeping, and I doubt I will have a binder of work though I don't know. Need to figure that out because it is happening next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 It goes into the wood stove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I have a file cabinet and each child has a hanging folder for each year. I pile things into the hanging folder as we go along. Then at the end of the year, I go through and choose a sampling of each subject save. I save most of their stories and serious artwork, just a few work samples for math or language arts, and toss everything else. For bigger projects and 3-dimensional artwork, we take a picture and toss it. I also put test scores (required by the state), recital programs, sports photos, and other memorabilia into the files. I have dreams of making beautiful photo books for all the kids someday with scanned copies of artwork, stories, or writing interspersed among happy photos of them reading and playing, but the hanging files are all I can manage at this point. Sometimes I even have trouble getting the work into the files, and if I wait too long for things like artwork then I won't be able to remember who made it, so I try very hard to pencil names and dates on the back of art as we go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanabug Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I file each week's work in a 3-inch binder, separated by subject. At the end of the school year, I transfer it all into a set of giant book rings and stick it up on a high shelf. I'll probably run out of space in a couple of years and have to trash most of it, but for now it works. Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I throw it away. The only thing we keep is his journal which he writes in as he likes, and rotating art work. I bought a picture frame from target that will hold about 10-15 pieces with the newest always being on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Homeschooling 1 child who is 9 years old.History (SOTW 3)-narrations, coloring pages, art activities, mapwork, photos of hands on projects, etc. in a 3 ring binder. Worksheets from math, logic, Latin and Greek Roots, and science-I do the 36 week file folder system so they go back into the folder when they're done. Later I throw them out.Other things like spelling, grammar and dictation each have their own composition books. Those will be tossed at the end of the year.I won't be saving much from Jr. High and Sr. High. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 The binders do indeed pile up! :) I freely admit, the record-keeping is all for me as we live in a low reporting state. All we have to do is keep attendance records. :o I will reread the posts, think about it for a day or two, then hopefully will be able to make up my mind. :o Thanks again for all of the very kind and helpful responses! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I barely started HSing and already have TONS of stuff. I can't imagine keeping much of it. But we shall see.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Each of my kids has a bin and everything goes in there in one big mess. Every couple of months, we clean it out and keep just a few samples. Then we chuck the rest in the recycling. It's an easy system for us since it requires no thinking. And they enjoy looking through it for that one or two samples every once in awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 This year I am trying one hanging file folder per portfolio-age child per subject set, so there are six folders: English/writing/spelling/grammar, History/Geography, Math, Science, PE/Health/Safety, and Fine Arts). As the children complete work, it goes in my Inbox, and after I check it, I either file it in the appropriate file, or I hand it back to them to put in their history binders. (I keep the history work together in its own binder for each child because sometimes they need to reuse a map or something.) ETA: At the end of the year, I will choose a few samples from each file folder for the portfolios, and then I will clear out the rest, but I will keep it in a box until I get the okay letter from the school district; then I will throw out all but what is in the portfolio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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