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Angel
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| Posted: Nov 01 2010 at 10:28am | IP Logged
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Please tell me about how you keep track of what your kids are doing, high school level on down.
When do you do your recordkeeping? How often?
What do you use to keep records?
I used to have a fairly reasonable routine for keeping track. But then I had baby #7 and we moved and my routines went out the window. Just looking for some fresh ideas so I can institute some new practices. 
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Erin
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| Posted: Nov 01 2010 at 1:58pm | IP Logged
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I record keep once a week, preferably on a Friday afternoon. If I don't do it then chances are it won't happen for that week. 
As I've shared before the children have their 'expectation sheets' and colour them as they go, I use these to type up notes (on a learning blog) fleshing out a little more. I do also call the children over to let me know what books they have been reading to add to the records.
Now if someone wants to tell me how to wave a wand and keep up with marking my highschoolers work
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 04 2010 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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I'm a paper gal for recordkeeping, though I know many have found great help in software programs. I keep records based on state requirements and our umbrella school requirements. What does your new state require, Angela?
1) Attendance is first. I have a spreadsheet which is provided by our umbrella school which I fill out. I complete a separate attendance record for each child legally enrolled.
2) Lesson plans. I write up lesson plans a term at a time and print them a week at a time. The children and I record throughout the week what was completed on these plans as well as things we did in addition to what was listed. I keep a 3 ring notebook for each child and file the old week's lesson plans in their notebook at the end of each week. I keep these for the year.
3) Booklists. Are kept at the front of each child's notebook.
4) Student work. I keep the written work that is completed throughout the week in special folders (each child has their own folder) in a basket on my desk. At the end of a term, I file the term written work in the same 3 ring binder that holds completed lesson plans, and that student's booklist for the year. Math stays in its own spiral notebook.
5) High school only -- I complete a 4 year written outline which includes generic names of courses to complete (like English 1, World History, Biology, etc.) for each of the 4 years of high school (this is required by our cover school). I assign a credit value that each course will achieve. This is NOT complicated or detailed - just course names and credit hours - and can be changed/amended as needed. Our state requires certain courses reflected on a high school transcript in order to have a transcript that looks like a state transcript and I basically used the state academic transcript as my guide. Once that is considered and written, I can build the meat of the courses that follow more of our educational philosophy and learning style that accomplish an "English I" course...or a "World History" course. Does that make sense? So...this is like a high school big picture map and I choose the particular roads and vehicles we'll use on our journey after I create this road map.
That's it for my record keeping - attendance, booklists, lesson plans, completed work, and a high school road map that I review each term.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Angel
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| Posted: Nov 05 2010 at 8:21pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
I'm a paper gal for recordkeeping, though I know many have found great help in software programs. I keep records based on state requirements and our umbrella school requirements. What does your new state require, Angela?
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Actually, I'm not required by law to keep *any* records. All MS requires is a card filled out at the beginning of the school year listing name, age, address, and a "simple description" of the education the child will be receiving. I provided a list of subjects, and apparently that was enough. After living in NY with all its attendence and reporting requirements, it's a little like being in a daze! 
So I'm just really trying to keep records mostly for myself for all the kids, but at the very least for my oldest. I used to do attendance on Homeschool Tracker Plus, but I don't need to do that any more. I also used to jot down notes of what all the kids did every day using the Homeschooler's Journal (Here is the high school version), but now that I have no microwave on the counter to set it on top of I tend to forget about it, even though it's in the desk apprentinceI ordered to organize my stuff (mostly).
Kind of silly, actually.
Anyway... I have been keeping track of my oldest's algebra and Latin grades using Homeschool Tracker Plus, as well as the hours he's been putting into earth science. But it does feel like I'm always playing catch-up. I don't really write out lesson plans, etc. ahead of time like y'all do... might try to move that way in the future, but time is spotty and erratic for me.
Well... I know that having a discussion about recordkeeping is probably about as exciting as watching paint dry (but I'm the sort of person who likes to know how people write their grocery lists, too! ) I guess I've almost tried it all at this point: spiral notebook journals, Sonlight's extra "grid sheets" they used to include with the instructor's guides, Homeschooler's Journal, Homeschool Tracker, printing out my own log sheets, learning notes blog, weekly reviews on the blog... just need to find what works best in our new space/new family size/changing ages.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 05 2010 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
| I guess I've almost tried it all at this point: spiral notebook journals, Sonlight's extra "grid sheets" they used to include with the instructor's guides, Homeschooler's Journal, Homeschool Tracker, printing out my own log sheets, learning notes blog, weekly reviews on the blog... just need to find what works best in our new space/new family size/changing ages. |
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That's exactly what I was thinking! What's most intuitive for you? It would seem you need to either find a place for your microwave or get in the habit of using your other organizer thingy since that seems most intuitive for you.
Was the micro at the old house a good spot because it was in the kitchen...where you would grab a minute or two in between tasks to jot things down? Can you carve out a place in your new kitchen that would work that way?
Have you decided the what of what you will be recording? Are you just going to focus on records for your high school transcripts? It would seem that your state has left record-keeping up to your discretion and that might be a good place to begin - knowing what you want to keep records of.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Erin
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| Posted: Nov 06 2010 at 4:35am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
Actually, I'm not required by law to keep *any* records. All MS requires is a card filled out at the beginning of the school year listing name, age, address, and a "simple description" of the education the child will be receiving. I provided a list of subjects, and apparently that was enough. After living in NY with all its attendence and reporting requirements, it's a little like being in a daze!
So I'm just really trying to keep records mostly for myself for all the kids, but at the very least for my oldest. |
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Angela
That's wonderful  I realise NY has very intense record requirements.
This means then you can decide where to put your energy records wise. What records do you feel are important? For example, is it beneficial to keep record of hours now?
In my state I'm only required to keep some form of records that show progress over the previous two years. Therefore my motivation is not state orientated but I'm keeping records for my older children in particular when it is time to gather a portfolio for University. I try to note what books they have read, what materials they have covered. For my own benefit I also try to record weekly reviews, noting work done and conversations and observations. This is more to reassure myself.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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Angel
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| Posted: Nov 06 2010 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
In my state I'm only required to keep some form of records that show progress over the previous two years. Therefore my motivation is not state orientated but I'm keeping records for my older children in particular when it is time to gather a portfolio for University. I try to note what books they have read, what materials they have covered. For my own benefit I also try to record weekly reviews, noting work done and conversations and observations. This is more to reassure myself. |
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Right. This is basically why I want to keep track. I don't really feel the need to take attendance or to keep track of hours for the kids less than 8th grade... but I *do* like to see how their learning progresses. I found last year that printing out those weekly blog reviews resulted in a fantastic visual-based log of our year. The kids loved looking through it. I'd really like to keep that up... but it's SO time intensive!!
For my oldest, I am keeping track of hours in certain subjects, though... not algebra and Latin, which are more text-based, but in science at least because I have a feeling that it will spill over into this summer which *will* officially be "9th grade". (I know there's some debate over whether or not colleges really care about high school work completed in the 8th grade, but considering the way we do things, I have a feeling I'll be cobbling years together.)
It is interesting to me how much the space determines what I do, though. The microwave thing... the microwave in our old kitchen was right by the refrigerator, so I passed that way several times a day. It was the only space (in the house) where I could lay a book out open and know that somebody wouldn't put something on top of it. So I had a notebook open and ready for jotting whenever I was. I really needed that information when it came time for quarterly reviews.
In this kitchen (I probably shouldn't get started on this kitchen - ahem) the microwave is in the wall, and I have even less counter space than I did in my old kitchen. I put the desk apprentice on the counter anyway because we are doing school in this space, too. I *do* use the desk apprentice - I'm constantly grabbing post-it pads, pencils, teacher's manuals, coupon organizers, etc. out of it, but I have no idea why I have ditched the recordkeeping.
Hmmm.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Topic: recordkeeping routines
