Planning / Record Keeping Ideas for Homeschooling.

Homeschool record keeping and planning can be as complex or as simple as you would like it to be.  In today's digital saturated world there are many options available out there for you to use.  Today I will share a few ideas on planning and record keeping for your homeschool.

IF your government requires keeping records be sure to research and know what type of records they are requiring.  IF it is not a state requirement you need to ask yourself why are you keeping records?

The key to successfully keeping records is consistency.

KeptMe has been optimised for accross platform performance meaning it can be used on all your devices i.e. apple, android and pc. Best of all it's FREE! It is currently being used by many different schools in variouse countries around the world (including in the USA).  I highly recommend this app for it's ease of use and the beautiful report it produces in pdf for you to download and print should you ever require one.

Why do I like KeptMe?

• I like that it is easy to use.  I simply snap a photo on my phone. Add it to KeptMe.  
• I can easily select the template  I want to report and within that template ALL the information I need is at my finger tips.
• It's a fabulous way to show friends and family who want to know what your children have been up to.
• It's easy to use with multiple children in one family
  

 You can read more about KeptMe, see different report samples and how to use it in this post: Planning & Record Keeping {Homechool Review Crew Blog Hop 2017}

I used KeptMe when I was reviewed by the Victorian Government in 2018. 

Options to keep records?

• Take photo's on your phone.  Move them to a folder for school on your phone or computer once a week.  Remember to photograph work, trips, workbooks, resource books and activities.
• Once a work book is completed remove a few sample pages and file them for future record submissions if your State requires written samples.
• Use Trello.
• Open an instagram account and use photo's each day with a short written account of what you did.  IF you don't want it to be public make sure you set your account to private. 
• Buy a diary and fill it in each day.
• Use a Hey, Mama! planner from Schoolhouse Teachers. They have a wide selection available including homeschool planners, custom schedule builders, ready made calendars, printable info charts and AppleCore Record Keeping.
• Research homeschool record keeping products on Homeschool Review Crew.
• Start a private blog and keep records online.  
• Use your digital calendar and keep records each day of what you accomplished.
  

Read More on this blog

• A Little Word on Homeschool Record Keeping.
• Homeschool Daily Schedules
• Our Ryhthm - Year Round Schooling.
• To Grade or Not to Grade  - Grading your students work as a home educator is a highly personal choice unless your state/country requires that you submit grades in which case it's a must. 
• Planning to Homeschool through High School Years -  homeschooling through the High School years is no different to home educating in the primary years.
• Can you fit it all in during the High School Years? -  keep learning together. Independence is NOT isolation.
• Tip Two - Find your Rhythm -  keep in mind you are not schooling you are tutoring and one of the majour differences is the amount of time required to accomplish the same amount of educating. 
• What about Homeschool Planning ? -  Homeschool planning is as individual as homeschool families.  There is no one perfect way to do it.
• Be True to Yourself - Unlocking FREEDOM in your homeschool.
  

 

 More on Record Keeping and Homeschool Planning from around the web

• Homeschool Planning & Record Keeping  {2020 Not Back to School Blog Hop}
• Why I Never Plan a Full Year Homeschool Schedule - Planning Two Weeks of Lessons Saves my Sanity!
• Planning Your Year Round Schooling - 
• Planning for Homeschooling High School - There are many things that come to mind when it comes to homeschooling high school and planning for it! There are many things to think about, between scheduling what classes will be when and how many credits will be needed to graduate!
• Ways to Remember {or Homeschool Record Keeping }  
• Delight-directed Learning: Keeping a Curiosity Journal.
  

IF you missed yesterday’s post on How do I teach …? here are a few posts to inspire you.

• Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses shares Help How do I teach High School at Home?.
• Yvie @ Homeschool on the Range shares Teaching Teens – Note-taking Skills .
• Annette @ A Net in Time shares Four Approaches to SchoolhouseTeachers.
• Vickie B @ Tumbleweed News shares How I taught 20+ kids at home {Blog Hop}.
• Teresa @ Teresa Brouillette shares How to Teach Homeschool.
• Dawn P @ Schoolin’ Swag shares How to Teach… What I Don’t Know.
• Laurie @ School Days shares How Do I Teach…?.
• Lori @ At Home: where life happens shares Teaching It All..

 

Help How Do I Teach High School at Home?

 One of the most frequent questions I used to be asked as my children got older was:  "Are you going to homeschool through high school?"  Yes, definately.  Followed with "How are you going to teach...?" 

Homeschooling through the highschool years is often seen as something to dread or fear.  Today I would like to encourage you to overcome the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years and know that you can teach anything. The most important thing as your child's tutor to remember is that you can learn a new subject or skill alongside your student.

 Looking Back is there anything I would do differently ?

DON'T CHANGE A THING - if it is not broken don't try fix it! Learning does not change, once our children know how to learn it does not change.  However IF they are not ready for independence and we push them into it then it derails their journey.

What I now realise is that the high school years are no different to the primary years.  Take a deep breath and just keep doing what's working.  You know and they know what is working.  The method needs to remain the same but the content changes and becomes deeper.  Your student will discover in themselves the best environment for them to learn in and as home educators we can cater to their growing need.  Independent learning is not isolation.  Sending them to their rooms to learn is isolation and does not foster independence. For more thoughts on this read: Nurturing Independence in High School  

 

Resources to help you teach

• Join your local Homeschool Co-op.  Remember Together Everyone Achieves More.  Some co-ops are formed specifically to teach things that can not be learned on your own and others are more informal to provide a platform of support.
  
• Build a network of homeschool mom's from all walks of life.  Ask them for advice on how they teach a certain subject.  You will be surprised with the wealth of information available to you in these circles.
• Find magazine articals written by veteran homeschoolers.  Three that I have often read are: Otherways is produced by the Home Education Network,  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine the trade magazine for homeschooling families and Keystone Magazine from the Home Education Foundation.
• Invest in good video courses.  One of our favourite companies is The 101 Series.  So far we have enjoyed their Physics 101, Biology 101 and Chemistry 101. 
• Look at investing in online teaching for the particular subject your student wants to take but you don't know how to teach.  For example: Visual Latin and Veritas Press.
• Join some homeschooling forums or Facebook groups and ask questions there.  Remember though to take any advice as ideas. Pick and choose wisely what you take on board for your family.
  

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. … Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9,10,12

 

"Can I teach high school science?

 NO

As your student gets older, 

your role changes from 

teacher to fellow learner."

Dr. Jay L. Wile

  Some posts to encourage you on teaching in high school

• Language Arts in High School
• Homeschool Record Keeping
• Science in High School
• Nurturing Independence in High School
• Writing and Composition in High School
• Help! Math is a problem. Now What? 
• How do you teach poetry?  
• Electives in the High School Years {Homeschool High School} 
  

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 Don't forget to read some of these great posts from Day three of the blog hop where our team talked about Curriculum ...

Kristen @ A Mom’s Quest to Teach shares Top Five Homeschooling Curriculum Choices.

Annette @ A Net in Time shares Grade 10 Curriculum Choices.

Yvie @ Homeschool on the Range shares Curriculum Reveal.

Vickie B @ Tumbleweed News shares Our Favorite Curriculum {Blog Hop}.

Jessica H @ My Homeschool with a View shares Tips for Curriculum Shopping.

Yvonne @ The Life We Build shares Our Kindergarten and 4th Grade Curriculum Choices.

Dawn @ Schoolin’ Swag shares Morning Time.

Teresa B @ Teresa Brouillette shares Homeschool Curriculum .

Lori @ At Home: where life happens shares 5 Tips on How To Pick a Curriculum.

Find some more inspiration on How to Teach today with the Crew below. 

Homeschool High School Curriculum Choices for 2020

Welcome to day three of the Homeschool Review Crew Not Back to School Blog Hop.  Today we are talking about Curriculum.

 Over the years I have used multiple curriculums.  You can read a Time Line of my Homeschool Journey here.  I just realised this does need some updating as it lists what we've done up until 2012. It will however give you a good overview of some of the things we have used. We joined the Homeschool Review Crew and spent a few years actively using different curriculums and writing reviews on them.

Last year we changed tack when Nathaniel asked what he needed to do to finish school.  We have chosen to switch back to Sonlight Curriculum basic package and work through four Cores in order for him to graduate.  He worked diligently last year and the begining of this year and completed World History Year One and ten weeks ago commenced on World History Year Two.

This year we are finishing our journey through World History which we started last year. We are covering history as it happened from 17th century to about 1990. One of the reasons I love Sonlight is it's not consumable.  I used this package with Jane and Timothy ten years ago and the beauty of history is it doesn't change! Sonlight uses twaddle free literature and so reading these books again brings back many happy memories for me.

 

My all time favourite math curriculum is Teaching Textbooks.  We invested in this program before it was available online.  So we are using the book and CD option.  This year Nathaniel is working his way through Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1.  I love Teaching Textbooks because it's like having an on call math tutor to explain every single sum.  It is also the first math program that was built for homechoolers from the ground up. 

For bible we are using Cover to Cover (Aff link) by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor Partridge.  It's a bible reading program that takes you through the bible chronologically. This hardback bible is over 2,000 pages containing scripture, maps, timelines, illustrations and diagrams to make the bible come to life.  We have diveded the readings to cover the last three years of high school. Cover to Cover is available in two biblical versions: Cover to Cover NIV Edition: Through The Bible As It Happened  and the Holman Christian Standard Edition.

I've added in two extra books to read.  The first is The Dig Tree: The Story of Burke and Wills. This gorgeous hardback book is unabridged and tells the story of discovering the interior of Australia. Sarah Murgatroyd uses original source documents to take you back to the events surrounding this famous part of Australian geographical history.  Read more about the book here. 

Lastly I have added in a new book by the author Dr Caroline Leaf: Think Learn Succeed. I have chosen this particular book as it helps you understand yourself, your potential and the people around you. It dispels some learning mythes and equips the reader with tools to learn and use our brains to the very best of it's ability.  Read more about this AMAZING book here. 

Dr. Leaf shows readers how to combine these powerful tools in order to improve memory, learning, cognitive and intellectual performance, work performance, physical performance, relationships, emotional health, and most importantly a meaningful life well lived.

Do you have any books on your must read for you and your teen list?

 

This year we are continuing our Language Arts journey with resources from  The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). For grammar we are finishing off Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree and will continue onto book two Fix It! Grammar Robin Hood. For composition and report writing skills we are utilizing Teaching Writing: Structure & Style DVD set. If you would like a more detailed look into these programs please read my review here: Institute for Excellence in Writing Review. 

We are working through book two of Trail Guide to World Geography by Cindy Wiggers.

Last but not least we will continue working through Getting Started with Latin by William E. Linney.(Aff Link).

 

More Posts on this blog on Curriculum

1.  5 Days of Curriculum Choices {Fine Arts, Math, Science, History & Geography}
2. 5 Days of FREE Homeschool Resources {Fine Arts, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography}
3. Homeschool 4 FREE Resource List
4. Virtual Curriculum Fair {Art and Music Appreciation, Social Studies and Science, Math and Logic, & Language Arts}
   

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 Don't forget to read some of these great posts from Day two of the blog hop where our team talked about Must Have Resources ...

Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach shares Homeschooling Must Have Resources and Supplies in Our Home.

Annette @ A Net in Time shares Nature Study Bring Alongs.

Jessica @ My Homeschool with a View shares My Top 5 Homeschool Supplies.

Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag shares Must Have Supplies ... For Mom.

Vicki B @ Tumbleweed News shares Homeschool Must Have Resources / Supplies.

Yvonne @ The Life We Build shares her Top 5 Favorite Homeschool Supplies and Resources.

Lori @ At Home: Where Life Happens shares Homeschool Supplies... Squirrel.

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

 Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Curriculumn

My Must Have Homeschool Resources

Yesterday we looked at homeschool traditions and why to have them in your homeschool.  Today we are asking the question "What are your must have resources for your homeschool?  That's a good question. I'm an easy homeschool Mom to please as I don't have a very long list. One word of caution when looking at the picture below.  You do NOT need your own library in order to home educate. Books are my passion and love and as a result I have spent almost three decades investing in these shelves.

 

Quality Twaddle Free Literature

As a bibliophile our family is surrounded in books. I feel so blessed that Paul has allowed me to indulge in my passion. One word of caution when purchasing books at your local book fair/secondhand trader or catalog becareful that you do not purchase twaddle.  Twaddle is a word describing low quality literature.  You can read about twaddle and how to know what it is here:  How does Charlotte Mason define Twaddle? Over the years our family have enjoyed many wonderful books and I hope to keep sharing them here in my Tuesday's Treasures Collection.

IF you are wondering where to start or how to create a list of books to have on your shelf take a look at this post:  Book Resource List it's my confession as a book-a-holic.

 

I-Clips Magnetic Book Marks

My second must have are i-clips.  These magnetic clips come in numberous colours and patterns to suit your taste.  Search for i-clips on Book Depository (Aff link). These clips measure 57 mm from tip to tip when open, 18 mm wide and 28 mm from edge to tip when closed. I-Clips are magnetic and therefore will not fall out of your book.  The pointed end also helps you to mark the precise spot on the page.

 

Stationery

This is one that I think we sometimes spend too little on.  We choose to buy cheap in order to save money and in the end we end up with frustrated students because the tools we supply are lacking in quality.  I highly recommend purchasing Faber-Castell with SV Bonding.  To read more about pencils, erasers and glue take a look at my post on Stationery My Homeschooling Essentials.

What are your Homeschool Must Have Resources??

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 Don't forget to read some of these great posts from Day one of the blog hop where our team talked about traditions...

Yvie @ Homeschool on the Range shares 20 Best Educational Subscription Boxes (we let the kids choose a new one at the beginning of each school year)

Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag shares Back to School Traditions. 

Vickie B @ Tumbleweed News shares Homeschool Traditions {NOT Back-to-School Blog Hop}

Adrienne Brown @ Practicalmindedness shares on Traditions that seal the heart.

Teresa B @ Teresa Brouillette shaes Homeschool Traditions.

Annette V @ A Net in Time shares Starting a New School Year. 

Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach shares Homeschooling Taditions for the New Year.

Lori @ At Home: Where Life Happens shares Traditions for Back to School.

Yvonne @ The Life We Build shares Our Homeschool Traditions.

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

 Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Must Have Resources.

Homeschool Traditions

Welcome to the Annual NOT Back to School Blog Hop 2020 which is being hosted by the Homeschool Review Crew. Today's topic is Homeschooling Traditions.  Traditions in your homeschool can be as complex or as simple as you or your family want to make them.  My personal journey into traditions started almost 25 years ago when I wanted to know how I could create memories with my children at Christmas.

Traditions within a family are the core and foundation of your family identity.  They can be created on purpose or they can evolve over time. Traditions are special moments that happen through intentional planning.  

“Celebrations are the ritualized interruptions in the continuum of daily life which remind us who we are, where we came from and where we are going.” -Milo Shannon-Thornberry 

 

Define Tradition

• a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time
• a long-established custom
• the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation
• an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
• cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

Dr. Dobson says:‘The great value of traditions comes as they give a family a sense of identity, ‘belongingness’. All of us desperately need to feel that we’re not just a cluster of people living together in a house, but we’re a family that’s conscious of its uniqueness, its personality, character and heritage, and that our special relationships of love and companionship make us a unit with identity and personality.’ 

 Traditions can take place daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.  Some are holiday specific, life changing or milestone, graduation, birthday or seasonal.

Some ideas to cultivate as a traditions

• Read a book aloud together Every Day.
• Not Back to School Party This is one that surprised me. We never set out to make it a tradition but it's one Nathaniel and his friends ask about every year.
• Celebrating Advent
• Christmas Traditions This is one I'm particularly passionate about!
• Enjoying a cup of tea together as a family before beginning your day.
• Weekly family movie night
• Favourite weekly family meal on a certain day of the week (Our family meals was macaroni and cheese and to this day it's the meal my siblings want when we get together with a particular pudding!)
• Holding hands when we pray a blessing on the meal.
• Board games night
• Attending certain annual events (for us this is Night Zoo, Christmas in Melbourne and Winter Fireworks in Docklands) 
• Eating a particular treat over the holidays which is ONLY eaten then.  We have a waffer biscuit we all enjoy and I only purchase them for eating during Advent.
• Going out once a month for a special treat (ice cream, donuts, lunch etc)
• Taking a picnic basket with a pre-packed flask on field trips. 

 Now a tradition is not a rut. A rut is doing the same things year after year because you don't have enough imagination to do anything new. A tradition is something you do once and discover a joy so deep that you do it again, Christmas after Christmas, to keep on savoring it and make it last -  Franklin Saunders (page 23 At Home in Dogwood Mudhole )

Nathaniel enjoying a ride 5 years ago at the Not Back to School Party

 Our Family Homeschool Traditions

• We start our new year each year by attending the local Not Back to School Party at  Geelong Adventure Park. We've loved doing this each year with the same group of families and watching one another's children grow in confidence and create memories together.
• Ice-Cream parties on days when things are hard or we are struggling.
• Each morning we meet in the lounge and enjoy a cup of tea together.  It's a great way to connect before we commence the new day ahead.
  

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

 

Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Traditions.