Portfolios

WHY YOU NEED A HOMESCHOOL PORTFOLIO

Whether your state requires one or you decide to keep one for your own records, a portfolio is the perfect answer to the quandary of homeschool record keeping. Inside you can collect samples of your child’s work, make lists of grades, and keep an eye on weekly progress. It’s also a beautiful keepsake for your child to document their educational journey.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A HOMESCHOOL PORTFOLIO?

The purpose of a homeschool portfolio is to provide a picture of your educational journey. The most important fact to remember: a portfolio is a snapshot, not the whole story. We are not aiming at saving every single one of Johnny’s handwriting sheets here. We just want to give a sampling. Honestly, there is no need to keep every single handwriting page anyway! Your notebooks and boxes will be overflowing with the mundane details.

When deciding if something should go in the portfolio, weigh it against these questions:

Does this show fairly significant progress?

Does this provide essential proof of learning (like a test, quiz, or essay)?

Does this particular item have special meaning to my child?

WHAT AGES/GRADES SHOULD I USE A HOMESCHOOL PORTFOLIO FOR?

Often we get tangled up with this question. The answer might surprise you. I think EVERY AGE and grade is perfect for a portfolio. As soon as you start intentionally homeschooling your child, keep a record of it. Grade/age doesn’t really matter.

The older your child gets the more you will see the need to have this helpful tool. For middle school and high school students, the portfolio is a wonderful organizational record of your child’s coursework. Even if your state requires a formal report card or testing, the portfolio will be the perfect backbone for the process.

WHEN SHOULD I START OUR HOMESCHOOL PORTFOLIO?

Let me tell you my secret. If you want to be successful at making this portfolio thing happen this year… you must put it together BEFORE the school year begins. Make the checklists, divide sections, and set up the portfolio before you start school each year.

It is a fluid process, so it doesn't matter if the sections or lists change throughout the year. But I have found that if I don’t have something in place before the school books open, I will be sitting in the school room with a pile of unorganized chaos at Christmas. No one wants that.

WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE IN A HOMESCHOOL PORTFOLIO?

The list of possible items to include in your portfolio is infinite. Depending on your homeschooling style and curriculum, your portfolio will likely look very different than your homeschooling friends’. In fact, your own children may even have very different portfolios. That’s just fine. Remember the goal. We are simply looking to keep a snapshot of learning here. Anything you want to include is fine!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Section 1: Daily

Weekly Checklist (or Morning Checklist for the younger guys)

Reading Record (until it’s full)

Section 2: Records

Attendance Record

Homeschool Calendar

Educational Snapshot (list of subjects and curriculum/books used)

All About Me Profile or Worksheet

Goal Worksheet

Section 3: Subjects

Assessment Graphs

Reading Records

Field Trip Evaluations