Homeschooling: Setting Up Record Keeping

There's an estimated 2 million homeschooled kids in the United States. Figure there's probably at least half a million forms of record keeping for the same 2 million kids.

While not mandatory in every state, record keeping is essential, for proof - should you ever be required to legally provide it, for college admissions which require curriculum information, and for your own peace of mind.

Most purchased curriculum contain sample copies of possible record keeping and scheduling forms. These are not mandatory; merely suggestions. With a good wordprocessing or spreadsheet program, you can turn these generic forms into suitable one for your needs.

For example, I need to track five main subjects plus various electives -- such as foreign language, home ec, health, phys ed (fitness, games), art, current events, etc. The main core are done daily; the others are done 2 subjects per day. I created a table in Word Perfect with 7 empty columns for the main subjects and 2 electives; and then a row for each day of the week. I made the table the size of a full sheet of paper, giving me plenty of room to either type in what's to be covered, or write in. Typing it in offers a permanent, electronic file of the schedule. However, writing it in allows me more flexibility. With the use of a scanner, I can turn my schedule, with notes at what was covered and what may need more focus on, into an electronic file as well.

Homework sheets, and tests can also be scanned to create an electronic record. These in turn can be grouped by year, or related topics, or by subject, and then burned to a CD, allowing you to ditch the tremendous pile of paperword that builds up.

Some homeschools set scheduled times for each subject. On the above created table, you can jot teaching times in the box.

I have found that setting a time schedule didn't work. On some subjects, my children went quicker, caught on faster, or just enjoyed more so they did better at it. By allowing less time for their "good" subjects, we could spend longer on the more difficult subjects, or more time reviewing important information.

Either way, time or need scheduled, your system should be one that you are comfortable with. Put as much information as you want or just jot down the topic, or even page numbers. The chart is for your use, to keep you focused and help you plan out how long each area needs to take.

If you find you fail to use the system, then it's not the way for you. Find another way. If electronic files give you nightmares, perhaps you need the paper file -- or just want to save test results.

For those using purchased curriculae, save the catalog description from the publisher. This gives you a good snapshot of what was covered and what wasn't -- a good thing to have in case of returning to public school, or hopefully for those inclined, college admission.

To find out if your state requires you to keep records, visit www.hslda.org.