Record keeping in Homeschooling

Record keeping in Homeschooling

A topic that frequently comes up in meetings and forums that deal

with homeschooling is record keeping. The importance of record

keeping cannot be ignored. It is not only legally required in

various States, but also provides important milestones in your

child's learning experience. An interest-initiated homeschooling

approach means that the topic of studies is far ranging and

multifarious. Thus, it can be something of a challenge to write

quarterly reports for the school district, when it is difficult

to classify learning into neatly pigeonholed areas.

Record keeping is important not only for the sake of regulations.

It 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 cut index of topics that have to be

covered, it is necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log

which records the child's progress.

The records you keep can be as simple as a daily journal, or as

elaborate as a software program. If you participate in a support

group, you probably have set forms and requirements. But even so,

keeping track of daily work makes reporting easy and efficient.

There are various record keeping methods used by various

homeschools. Some of the more popular ones are:

Journal:

This can be maintained by the teacher or the student. This

basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was

done. Recording memorable events that happened in the course of

the year is a great way to reminisce later on.

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. Maintain a

separate area where any additional things can be recorded. This

includes educational trips, visits and videos etc. Any extra

topics that were covered are also recorded in this area. Make a

summary every quarter.

Portfolios:

This consists of a collection of varied materials that show what

the child has achieved and done during the course of 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

mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social studies can

all be recorded this way. The biggest advantage is that portfolio

assessment places control in the hands of the children. Having a

tangible record of what they have established eggs them on to

greater heights.

Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased

record-keeping systems that lay out a good checklist. Some of

these allow one to personalize the organizer. Irrespective of the

methods used, record keeping in one form or the other is

essential. Your child's future may well depend on the

well-maintained record that you have meticulously kept over the

years.

Grading in homeschooling

Grading in homeschooling

Grading in homeschooling is done by the teacher-in-charge. In most

of the cases, this means mom! In this situation, grading can get a

bit tricky because it can be a little difficult to grade your own

child. There is no benchmark against which you can evaluate your

child's performance. In most cases, you also have no awareness of

how well other children are doing. So, obviously the traditional

method of grading is perhaps not the best method to follow.

When grading a child undergoing homeschooling, it is more

important to assess whether the child has understood the subject

that is being taught. Inherent in this is the fact that if the

child has not understood something, you will go over it again.

This will work in your child's favor in 2 ways. Firstly, the child

knows that if he or she fails to catch on, the topic will be

repeated till it is mastered. Secondly, the child also knows that

once the topic has been mastered, he or she will get full credit

for his hard work. Getting full reward for the hard work put in is

a great motivational factor, especially for kids.

When assessing your child's abilities, do not allow emotions to

overcrowd your rationale. Do not yield to the cries and tears of

your child if he or she resists certain topics or subjects. If

mastering these skills is necessary, then you as the teacher (and

not as the parent alone) have to go over the topic over and over

till it sinks in. When dealing with tougher concepts, the child

may get restless and may even show frustration or belligerence.

When the child is still young and unable to understand the

importance of his lessons, it is your responsibility to see to it

that the child develops the skill set necessary for future growth.

In case you belong to a state that requires yearly tests, this

will help you to judge your child's ability vis-à-vis his peers.

Even if it is not mandatory, you may want to test your child every

year. These tests will reveal the variations in the child's

learning pattern. It may show up unexpected areas of strength and

hitherto unknown areas of weakness. This enables you to structure

your teaching to cover the areas that are weak, and build upon the

areas that are strong.

In case your state requires a homeschool report card, keep a

record of the yearly development and scores of your child. Include

pertinent areas like punctuality, discipline etc in the report.

You may also need to keep a record of the number of working days

and attendance schedules.

While grading your child, make sure that you use as many external

tests as possible. There are several websites that deal with the

various age groups, and allow free downloading of question papers.

This is an excellent and cost-effective method to assess your

child. Homeschooling, if done in the proper manner, will boost the

child's confidence because he will be studying to satisfy his

natural curiosity. The scores therefore will reflect his true

intelligence.

Homeschooling Methods

Homeschooling Methods

For many people, homeschooling may call to mind the picture of two
or three children sitting at a table and writing feverishly in
their workbooks, while mom or dad stands nearby. This is the not
entirely true. There are different methods of homeschooling,
and the method you choose will decide the curriculum and your
style of teaching. Given below are some of the most influential
and popular homeschooling methods.

The Charlotte Mason method:
Charlotte Mason is known as the founder of the homeschooling
movement. A homeschooler herself, she was passionate in her zeal
to lay out the foundations for an effective a complete
homeschooling program that is fun and educational at the same
time. This method focuses on all the core subjects with emphasis
placed on classical literature, poetry, fine arts, classical music
and craft. Mason used a variety of books from classical
literature, which she called 'Living Books'. Since this method
encourages a passionate awareness of literature, the child is read
to daily from the 'Living Books'. After this, the child is asked
to narrate what she has heard. This process begins at the age of
six, and by ten the child is expected to write her narrations in
her book. Mason also advocated the use of 'Nature Diaries'. After
each short and interesting lesson, the child is asked to go to
Nature and draw observations from Nature. Thus the child also
gains a sense of respect for her environment. Mason believed that
development of good character and behavior was essential to the
complete development of the child's personality.

The Eclectic Homeschooling:
This is a mixture of various homeschooling techniques. Here, the
innovative parents trust their own judgment and pick out the
topics that make the best curriculum for their child. Such parents
continuously look out for the best products that will meet the
needs of their homeschoolers. Most Eclectic homeschooling
curriculums are improvised. This means that the basic curriculum
is ready-made. The parents then make changes in the curriculum to
accommodate the individual needs and interests of their children.
The child's gifts, temperament, learning style and interests
dictate the curriculum. Eclectic programs include visits to the
museum, libraries and factories.

Unschooling:
A Boston public educator name John Holt laid the beginnings of the
unschooling method. He believed that children learned best when
they are free to learn at their own pace and when they are guided
by their own interests. His message was to 'unschool' the child.
This method is a hands-on approach to learning, where the parent
takes definite cues from the children. There is no definite
curriculum, schedules or materials. This method is the most
unstructured of the various homeschooling techniques.


The Montessori Method:
This method began in Italy, when it was observed that children
have acute sensitive periods, during which they undergo periods of
intense concentration. During such phases, a child will repeat an
activity till he gains a measure of self-satisfaction. The
Montessori method depends on a prepared environment to facilitate
learning. All the materials used in this method are designed to
satisfy the inner desire for spiritual development of the child.
The materials used progress from simple to complex, and are rather
expensive.

These are just a few of the methods of homeschooling. Whatever the
method, the underlying factor is flexibility and a keen interest
in the desires of the child. The secret is to use the child's desire for knowledge to further his education.

Maintaining Discipline in Homeschooling

Maintaining Discipline in Homeschooling

When the child stays at home all day, and mommy is the teacher,

there are certain issues of discipline at stake. It is easy for he

child to misconstrue the freedom he has at home and feel that

homeschooling is just a long summer holiday. This is a potential

landmine and children need to be disciplined right at the start.

Homeschooling gives you and your child a truly immense amount of

flexibility. You and your child decide where to learn, how much to

learn and when to learn. But,these should be decisions made at

the beginning stages. If your child is too little to take an

active part in the decision, chart out a few hours of the day for

the various activities, and stick to it. When there is no outside

agency to supervise and no exams to answer, it is easy to get

sidetracked. If your child is old enough, consult him and find out

when he wants to learn. Apply your parental discretion and come up

with a timetable.

Homework is also a part of homeschooling. What this means is that

once lessons have been taught, the child should be asked to do

some part of the course work by himself without your guidance. You

will need to make sure that your child sits willingly and finishes

his work.

Courtesy, manners and punctuality are some of the various facets

of discipline that a child has to imbibe in the early years of his

life. The school where he interacts with his peers, his seniors

and juniors and his teachers mould these values quite

automatically. At homeschool, the child should be taught the

importance of speaking and behaving in a proper manner and

appropriate corrections need to be meted out if behavior is

unsatisfactory.

It is advisable to keep aside a particular room or a part of the

room for your homeschool. The child should be expected to reach

his desk at the appointed time, in proper attire with all the

necessary material. It is easy to allow the school to become an

extension of play if these ground rules are not laid out and

followed. As the teacher, supervisor, principal and janitor rolled

into one, you should also approach the study area with a cool

professionalism.

Homeschooling is doomed to fail without patience. In spite of all

the precautions and steps one takes, it is easy for a child to get

familiar' at homeschool. At such times, it may be difficult to

discipline the child and get him to listen to you attentively.

When this happens, switch to something new. Allow the child to

take a breather and enjoy a break yourself.

Homeschooling is not easy. It requires a lot of hard work and

patience. The very informality of the whole procedure sometimes

works against it by making it too easy. If you take steps to

establish rules at the very beginning and adhere to these rules,

your homeschooling experience will be a huge success.

Homeschool - Field trips

Homeschool - Field trips

If you are going over a particular subject with the family and
feel that a field trip would be beneficial, then that's what you
should do - go for a trip. If you are attached to a support group,
you can plan to include other children too.

Here are some guidelines that will help you plan:
1) Collect the rates
2) Allowed ages
3) Special highlights
4) Size of the group
5) Timings
6) Eating facilities

Inform your support group of all these details well in advance so
that the necessary circulars may be sent out. On the appointed
day, arrange to meet with other parents and children in a
particular place. Plan the mode of travel and reach the place at
least 10 minutes in advance.

The field trip is not just fun. So, let your kids bring their
writing material. Allow them time to stare and admire. Do not
hurry them along. Collect data beforehand so that you can clear
doubts. Get help from a guide, if necessary. And most importantly,
have fun and enjoy the time you spend with your children.