homeschooling meetings and forums, and its importance in the
homeschooling curriculum can not be overlooked. Record Keeping for
homeschooling is not only legally required in various States, but also
provides important goals in your child's learning experience. An
interest-initiated homeschooling approach means that the topic of
studies is far ranging and diverse. It can become very confusing to
write accurate homeschooling reports, due to the interest-initiated
approach to learning being so difficult to classify and pigeon-hole.
Record keeping in homeschooling is vital not only for the sake of
regulations, but is also an exciting way to record and document the
learning process of the child. When most of the learning is done
through play and there is no clear indication of topics that have to be
covered, it becomes necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log
which records the child's progress.
The method for your record keeping can be as simple as a piece of paper
and and as complex as a computer programme- it is completely up to you
to decide which method will be more effective. If you are participating
in a support group, you most likely have set forms and requirements.
However, staying on top of daily assignments and reports will make the
process so much more efficient and easily achievable in the
homeschooling environment.
The most popular record keeping methods used by various homeschools are listed below.
Daily planner:
Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher's
planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered, and make
additional notes if issues arise which might be improved on in the next
semester. Maintain a separate area where any additional things can be
recorded. This may include educational trips, visits and videos,
homeschooling online materials etc. Any extra topics that were covered
should also be recorded in this area. Make sure you make a summary at
least once every quarter.
Journal:
This can be maintained by either the teacher or the student. This
basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was done in
the homeschooling sessions. No only is keeping a journal of your
homeschooling a fantastic way to reminisce in the future, it is also a
means to monitor the effectiveness of your teaching and your child's
interpretations of the homeschooling process.
Portfolios:
This consists of a collection of diverse materials that display what
the child has achieved and done during the course of his/her
homeschooling study. Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to
chart the child's progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose
and flexible form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing
portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are
considered the best in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist
of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress
in subjects such as mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social
studies can all be recorded in this manner. The biggest advantage is
that portfolio assessment places control in the hands of the
homeschooled child. Having a tangible record of what they have achieved
in their homeschooling will only serve to motivate them to achieve more
and more.
Conclusion
Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased
record-keeping systems that lay out a great checklist and help to
automate the homeschooling process. There is now an abundance of
homeschooling organisers and planners available online- do use due
diligence when considering homeschooling products- preferable use a
recommendation where you can see how effective the product is going to
be. Whichever method of record keeping you decide on for your
homeschooling, it is an essential part of the homeshooling process and
will be beneficial to initiate from the start. You never know, your
child's future may depend on this system of record-keeping
No comments:
Post a Comment