Master Homeschool Binder

[DesertBlossom]

Do any of you keep a master homeschool binder? Like with tabs for each child or each subject? Anyone want to share what you put in yours or how you keep it organized? Links are okay too. I think this is the route I want to go. And I have some ideas swirling around in my head but I would to get ideas from others.

[Guest]

I do, but it isn't anything fancy. I have a loose plan page for each child of what I am trying to get through with each kid that year. I have my planned blocks for my oldest, and then about 10 weeks of any printed off worksheets or handouts they will need, divided by course. (Only if they're printed by me and not in a workbook- if they are in a workbook I just leave them alone). Then I keep a copy of each weekly schedule with things to check off. I usually prepare two weeks at a time. Then I file them in a separate tab when they're done.

 

For when we use SL, I grab three weeks of lesson plans and pull them into their own section. I then have my master Apologia schedule and any other class where I need to coordinate videos, labs, etc. in the appropriate class section, and then copies of my blank plan pages (I use Plan Your Year by Pam Barnhill.) And most importantly I have my plastic huge zip pouch at the front with all of *my supples*- a ton of different size post its, a sharpie, some pencils, pens and some highlighters. :) So pretty much I can grab one binder and be good to go. I keep all of my answer keys and teacher manuals in one IKEA magazine holder (cardboard) where they're easy to find and so for grading/planning days I just grab those two things and it's made life very easy.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Mine is very, very simple. It's just a one-inch binder that I grab every morning....

 

Tab #1

Attendance charts (one per student) -- an attendance record is required in my state.

 

Tab #2

Admin -- course titles and brief course descriptions and book lists for each student, with his name and grade level (or age). This is just one page, printed front and back.

 

Tabs #4-7

One per student -- I create a weekly assignment sheet for each student, and file to the front so the current one is always on top. Each entry is just a snapshot; the details are with their materials. But I can see at a glance what they're to do in each subject, each day. I just flip back and forth as I work with different students on different tasks.

 

I check off their work on this, MY copy of their assignment sheets, through the day. (They have an identical sheet on their own clipboards.)

I record grades for math tests, science labs, etc. on these sheets, as well. (I never remember to write them in a separate gradebook. Finally figured out that I could record the grades in my planner as we go, next to the assignment itself. Duh.)

There is space at the bottom of each day's column for information about medical appointments, academic opportunities, milestone achievements, just whatever I want to briefly record that pertains to the day.

 

Tab #8

A record of our field trips for the year.

 

 

------

This simple, at-a-glance method works to keep me organized through the day, because the actual lesson plans and teacher's materials are in other binders, organized in a cupboard by my desk. So my student's assignment sheet may say, "Sonlight Core 6 week 2" but I take the Sonlight binder off the shelf to see all my notes for projects, movies, writing assignments, or whatever else I've planned. (On years when I do not use a planned curriculum, I still create a separate binder for the plans for each subject.)

Each student's assignment sheet is written in pencil, because life happens and in my homeschool it's fine to work ahead OR to need more time on something. The assignment sheet may read, "Math #56" which is the plan, but what is actually involved in lesson 56 is found in the math teacher's manual. I might also have jotted down a reminder from yesterday to review something additional today, that I noticed my student needs, because there's space for that on the assignment sheet. Or I might erase the whole rest of the week in math, to review a crucial concept that the student seems to have missed.

 

Each weekend I look over the past week's work, if there's anything I didn't have time to check as it was done each day, and then I create the next week's assignment sheet for each student. I have an over-all plan for the year, but the actual task lists are created a week at a time.

 

 

[EKS]

I have binders for each child that contain:

 

A copy of my Intent to Homeschool form

 

Copies of all standardized test results

 

A copy of each end of year report, which for K-8 contain a narrative summary of what they did in each subject as well as high and low points as well as lists of resources used and books read.  For high school, I put in the grade sheet for each course and a copy of the course descriptions.  

 

Copies of reports from outside classes

[Tita Gidge]

I have a binder for each kid, the kind with the clear thing on the outside? In the front I put a "Suggested Daily Schedule" and in the back I put the "School Calendar" with all of our year marked up. I also have kids in public school so we take off all the same holidays, plus our birthdays, plus religious holidays, plus I factor in teacher out-service days (those are the days they know I'm unavailable to them because I'm traveling or taking a 'mental health' day of my own).

 

Inside the binder I use those dividers that have numbered tabs from 1-12, they represent each grade. Each grade has at least one sheet of paper titled "Plans for X Grade" where I've estimated a long-term plan. Some grades have multiple papers with this title, as I hem and haw or as new curricula are introduced. I don't throw away old plans. It seems silly to hold on to them, but I re-think so often that saving an old plan saves me from accidentally re-planning a plan that I've already decided won't work.  (I know. I'm weird. I like to plan, but I forget what I plan so I re-plan the plan, and ... let's just say it's kinda scary in my head LOL.)

 

Each completed grade has another sheet of paper titled "X Grade - Completed" where I list everything we did for the year, including extracurricular activities, volunteering, and main resources. I don't give my kids tests or grades from 1-8th grade, but starting with high school I also throw in some sample work - a few tests, essays, etc. - and standardized test scores.

 

I do keep a similar binder for my public school kids, too, though less specific (I don't list resources, but I'll note subjects they've covered in classes).

 

And I have a Mama's Binder. That's where I shove all my thoughts and papers and research until they're ready to be filed in a specific kid's binder. It's also where I organize things that will affect multiple children: notes on standardized tests, scout and sports schedules/contact info, co-op plans, etc. Mostly it's a physical representation of my brain. It's pretty messy but everything's there; I just have to hunt around for it when I need it!