Many parents wonder how to keep track of their child’s performance in homeschool. I have found that having a system for organizing all the information is not only helpful but also fun! Here are some tips on how to create your own homeschool portfolio. It can be really daunting when you first start record keeping for homeschooling, though. If you keep everything, the number of books and worksheets pile up quickly and can soon overtake your home. If you landed here because you wanted information on the all-important homeschool question: how do I keep my Homeschool Portfolio? Then you are in the right place!
What’s in a Portfolio?
A homeschool portfolio is a collection of the student’s work and progress throughout the year. It should not be a substitute for a daily journal, which you can use to keep track of your child’s day-to-day lessons, assignments, and grades. Instead, it should be used to document what was learned in your homeschool environment and how your child did on their tests and assignments.
The purpose of these documents is twofold. They allow you to track what has been done so far in this academic year, and they help you prepare for next year by giving an overview of where students are academically at present time (and where they may need more support).
Start a Portfolio Early
A portfolio is a collection of evidence that your child has learned and grown in school. The point of having one is to help you (and others) remember what they’ve accomplished over the years, so it’s important to start collecting materials as soon as possible. It serves as proof of school if you need to show proof for some reason. A portfolio can be as simple or complex as you like. There are many different ways to organize them, but all portfolios should contain:
- A record of your child’s progress and interests throughout the homeschooling year
- An overview of each subject area in which she participated during the school year
- A representative sampling of student work
- Accomplishments from extracurricular activities like sports teams or clubs
- Any awards your student received
Make the Cover and Table of Contents Stand Out
The cover and table of contents are the first things that people will see when looking at your portfolio. They should be noticeable but not distracting. You and your child will have to look at it often, so make sure it is something they enjoy. However, you will also want it to be respectable if they have to take the portfolio for co-ops, state-mandated homeschool evaluations, and more.
Track Time in a Portfolio
Your homeschool portfolio can help you track how much time you spend in school daily. Keeping a time log helps keep you accountable for your goals and also lets you see how much more work needs to be done. If your goal is to do an hour of math every day, keep track of it in your portfolio by writing down the date, what kind of math was done (if any), and how long it took. Some states require you to homeschool for a certain amount of time each year. You can check out our guide to homeschool regulations to find out more. You could also use a Google or online calendar to keep track of the day-to-day records so you don’t overfill your child’s portfolio.
Work Samples
Work samples should represent your child’s work, whether it’s their best or typical. You want the portfolio to be representative of your child’s progress throughout the year, not just a few select pieces of work. This will give a more accurate idea of their learning style and level. It will also prove how your child has improved over the years.
If you receive grades from your school, include these in the portfolio as well. This can help show what subjects your student has struggled with or excelled at and help reinforce learning from previous years’ courses, and provide an idea of what may be expected for future classes based on past results.
Don’t Overfill
When you start your homeschool portfolio, it can feel like a daunting task to keep track of all you have accomplished. You’ll want to include every test result, every piece of artwork, and every letter you have ever written. But don’t overfill your portfolio with things that don’t matter anymore or will never be useful for anything else. Instead, choose the best examples from each subject area and save space for future years (if necessary). Some items to include for elementary schoolers are:
- Spelling tests
- Handwriting examples
- Math tests or speed drills
- Stories or journal entries
- Art projects of photos of art projects
You can find great examples of homeschool portfolios from people using the Abeka curriculum on the Abeka blog.
Add a Detailed Page About the Curriculum You Are Using
Add a detailed page about the curriculum you are using. This is the most important part of your homeschool portfolio because it gives an overview of what you are studying and how long you have studied in each subject. It also shows that you were able to follow through with your plans.
Include:
- A short summary of the curriculum choice and why it was chosen
- A list of subjects covered (for example, math terms 1-100) and their length (1 year)
- Books used for each subject
- Activities used for each subject
- Resources used for each subject like websites
- Skills learned from each activity
Is DIY.org a Good Virtual Portfolio System?
DIY.org is a great place to keep track of your child’s progress, and it’s a good way to get started with organizing your homeschool portfolio, though you won’t want to post everything on it. It’s also a cheap subscription program to help you organize your child’s coursework.
The DIY.org website is easy to navigate and has everything you need in one place, making it convenient for parents who want to find information quickly and easily without spending too much time searching online for fun homeschooling challenges and classes. Kids can keep photos of their creative work on DIY.org and easily share them with others.
Add Subject Tabs to Keep it Organized
In order to keep your portfolio organized, you’ll need to start by adding tabs for each subject.
You can also create a tab for each portfolio section and one for any extra pages or sections that may be needed. This will allow you to easily track where everything is and ensure nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
Keeping a Homeschool Portfolio
As you can see, there is a lot to consider before starting a homeschool portfolio. However, once you have decided to take this step, you must make it as easy and convenient as possible for yourself and your child. This will ensure that both of you are able to keep track of the progress made over time and make adjustments where necessary so that they can continue learning at home.
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