Imagine living in a state where homeschool records do not have to be kept. It would make the process of homeschooling easier. In the United States many homeschoolers are required to keep records for their superintendents of schools. Which state one lives in determines how many records must be turned in during the year.

Home School Records

I live in one of the states that require lots of homeschool record keeping. Over the years I have found a way of keeping records that meets the state requirement and benefits my home schooling children. Keeping records becomes easier once the home schooling parent learns the difference between internal and external records.

This article will define and identify the purpose of homeschool record keeping, internal and external forms and how keeping records can benefit the home schooling child's writing and spelling skills. If homeschool records are not kept, an opportunity to provide natural, non-burdensome spelling, reading and writing lessons are lost. Keeping homeschool record in the United States has many worried but it need not be once one learns the difference between internal and external records.

Internal Record Keeping Forms

Keeping homeschool record in the United States has many worried but it need not be once one learns the difference between internal and external records.

Internal records are records one keeps that help one run and maintain one's home school. These are records that only the home schooling parent and her family sees and uses. Internal records are not required by state laws or regulations but they can be the foundations of your homeschool. Internal records can be used to complete external records.

External Record Keeping Forms

External records are the records that people outside of the home get to see. In many states the external records go to the superintent of the local school district. External records are also used when the home schooling child finishes high school and wants to go to college.

Differences Between Internal and External Records

There are two major differences between internal and external records.
1. Who sees them
2. Who determines what information goes on them

External records are seen by those outside of the home and they contain the information the outsiders want to see. My external records include letters of intent, individualized home instruction plans (IHIP's), quarterly reports, and annual assessments that consist of a alternative writen narrative or standardized testing depending on the grade level of the home schooling child. Imagine this for each home schooling child.

Why Have Records

The state's purpose of the external records is to prove that the child is making adequate progress. The state wants to make sure homeschoolers are being educated.

The homeschooler has many purposes for the use of internal homeschool record keeping forms. Internal records can be used to

1. monitor progress
2. keep track of what needs to be learned
3. monitor skills acquired
4. keep track of books read
5. chores
6. keeping track of projects
7. home economics and home management
8. subject content
9. lesson plans
10.assignment check off sheets
11. writing records
12. spelling words
13. grammar skills
14. anything the homeschooling parent might have a need for

The list is endless because each home school family is unique

Records Show Progress

The one good thing about internal records is that they can give a clear indication of the home schooling child's academic progress. A writing record can contain samples of the child's writing throughout the year. When compared to a previous year's record it is easy to see how much the child has learned. For example, it becomes easy to write an annual assessment about the child's writing, as the proof of the child's accomplishment is before you for your eyes only. It is then easy to write "my child has learned to write using complete sentences with proper capitalization and punctuation."

Home School Record Keeping Ideas

The best thing about internal records is that if your child is involved in the record keeping process, the child not only develops responsibility for their learning they also can develop spelling, grammar and punctuation skills along the way.

Example: Writing, punctuation, spelling, and penmanship skills can be practiced having the child maintain a reading record.

Example: Examining the child's reading record can give the homeschooling parent ideas about future writing assignments. If your child has read a few books on a similar topic, then the child could write about that topic.

Example: Books read that are similar in topic can be used for a book report record or book analysis record where similarities and differences are discussed and then written about.

Example: Phonogram records, with phonograms listed at the top and words underneath that are filled out by the child are a great way to review phonograms that have learned.

Example: Things to do today check off sheet record helps the home schooling child maintain daily activities.

Things Needed to Make Records

1. Working knowledge of a word processing software with a table function or a spread sheet software.
2. Know what records need to make and what information to track.
3. Hand drawn layout of the record.

Note: These forms can also be made on plain paper and copied.

Exercise

Make a Home School Reading Record
1. Plan layout of the record. Think of what information is needed. Possible answers: title, author, number of pages, genre, date start, date stop.
2. Open word processing software.
3. Type the title and hit enter twice to include a space between the title and table
4. Click on Table
5. Insert number of columns (up and down) and rows (left and right). When counting the number of rows, make sure to add one row for the headings in the table.
6. Type the heading columns
7. Save the file.
8. Click file preview to see what the file will look like. Adjust the font size to get the layout you need.
9. Save the file.

Exercise 2

Make a Book Report Record
1. Plan the layout of the record. Think of the information you need. Possible answers: title, author, genre (non-fiction, fiction, and biography), summary of book, recommendations.
2. Open word processor
3. Type title of the form. (i.e., Book Reports)
4. Type the entries and include blank lines for the child to write on.
Title: ____________________
Author:____________________
Genre: ____________________
Summary: __________________ (include enough lines for child to write on)
Recommendation:_____________ (include enough lines for child to write on)
5. Save the file.

These are basic forms. The arrangement can be changed. It is your internal form. Make it to your liking. If you want the author’s name listed first, then put it first. If you want more or different information then add it. Only you know what is wanted or needed. This exercise is to get you started making record forms.