The SPED Homeschool Team

Record-keeping is an art, not a science. What works for one may not work for another, and what may work for you now may need changing in the future. 

Founder of SPED Homeschool, Peggy Ployhar, and the rest of our team created a list of what records and documentation we have kept over the years. Requirements vary from state to state, so make sure you know what the requirements are for homeschooling where you live. Even if certain records are not required, it is great to keep examples of work and see what progress your children have made. Of course, your system may change from year to year.

 

Checklists for planning and tracking:

  • Booklists
  • Calendar
  • Daily or weekly lesson plans
  • Daily or weekly checklists
  • Grading rubrics
  • Necessary supplies
  • Student tasks/assignments
  • Teacher prep tasks
  • Unit study items
  • Syllabi
  • Scope and Sequence from curriculum or homeschool co-op

 

Schedules:

  • By unit
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Monthly
  • Per student
  • Student activities
  • Therapy 
  • Travel and field trips
  • Weekly
  • Yearly

 

Grading:

  • Report Card
  • Rubrics
  • Spreadsheets with project and test scores
  • Transcripts

 

Records:

  • Annual goals or focus
  • Binder 
  • Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Student Education Plan (SEP)
  • Picture collages of a student’s year in review
  • Pictures or scans of assignments, tests, stored on Cloud or Google Drive
  • Yearly testing summaries (required state standardized testing)
  • Yearly portfolio boxes

 

Our Pro Reminders:

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Our team members Amy, Dawn, and Melissa save lesson plans and daily checklists. These are not just planning tools but also records of your school day. “Every day, my son has a checklist of ten assignments to do for school. He is seven and, while that may seem like a lot, most assignments take under 10 minutes! Most days, he is free to skip around on his checklist, and he frequently completes his reading or math before we start our school day. This list has been one of the best ways to make homeschooling a smooth experience,” says Melissa.

Dawn adds, “Keeping track can help you and your child what needs to be done and gives everyone a way to visually see what is expected.”

 

UtilizeTechnology

Amy utilizes technology to keep records as well as share them with people outside the immediate household. “I take pictures of tests, work samples, and activities and upload them into organized folders in a google drive that is set up dedicated for this purpose. I share those folders with the other person, and they can view them as they need/want. I try to include samples from all required areas, as well as an annual email about what our focus and main curriculum will be for the year. I also include evaluations and results from any standardized tests we participate in, and for any therapy my boys are doing. I even have a folder for extracurricular and other fun activities.”

 

Mastery over Grades

Our team members Cammie and Dawn believe in mastery. Cammie adds, “I’m a strong believer in mastery as well as following directions. As a result, a student will only receive an A or an incomplete. This makes grading simpler and reinforces learning.” 

Dawn reminds us, “If they don’t do well, the beauty of homeschool is we can go back and relearn till they master the material.”

 

 

 

 


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