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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Homeschool Portfolio-What to Keep


If you are like me, your kids have about a million drawings by the end of school year. 

This portfolio enables me to keep some major pieces, but doesn't allow for hoarding. We also live in INDIANA, where homeschool laws do no dictate we keep a portfolio.

We also have a Homeschool picture Album, so I don't have to keep all the pictures in the file folder.


Materials for simple Portfolio File Folder:
  • 13 Good quality hanging folders- Labeled Preschool through 12th grade
  • Large Plastic file folder with lid 
  • sharpie and stencils for child's name on front (or print  and use contact paper adhere to bin)

Preschool Folder
  • Picture Album of Field Trips (PRINT THESE & date, you will regret it if you don't)
  •  Any cards the boys made me( lot of times they dictated to my husband something super sweet).
  • Hand Print art for later size comparison & accompanied by sentimental ooh and ahhs. :)
  • One example of First milestones, like first picture of a face, or first time they wrote their names.
  • A piece that was an example of a certain obsession, like when they only drew dragons for a month. 

Kindergarten
  • Pictures of them on first day of school and on last day.
  • Small Picture album of field trips (thin plastic from Dollar Tree)
  • Samples of handwriting from beginning of year and from end of year
  • Example of math page (a chart or something artsy & fun)
  • Any Books they made; We made a Creation book, seasons of an apple tree, and other unit based books.
  • Kindergarten Diploma
  • Example of an art phase, like when they drew dump trucks all year.
  • Any cards they made you.

Elementary Grades 
  • Printed pictures of them on first day of school and on last day
  • Small Picture album of field trips (thin plastic from Dollar Tree)
  • Samples of handwriting from beginning of year and from end of year (especially for lower Elem)
  • Final Math Test (there is no need to keep all their worksheets)
  • Books they make (example- we turned Draw, Write, Now Pages into a book)
  • Any Cards they made me
  • Binder from the year's unit study (We use My Father's World, and each year has a theme, with a corresponding binder to keep work)
  • Example of an art phase 

Junior High Grades 
  • Printed Pictures of them on first day of school and on last day
  • Their writing prompts or writing notebook (very fun to read stories they wrote)
  • Final Math Test (there is no need to keep all their worksheets)
  • Any Cards they made me
  • Binder from the year's unit study (We use My Father's World, and each year has a theme, with a corresponding binder to keep work)
  • ONE Example of an art phase or special subject they studied

Homeschool in Indiana

Friday, May 10, 2013

Kindergarten Graduation.

The boys and Mommy had a great first official year of Homeschooling.  Kindergarten graduation was a must,.  I almost did some cap and gowns and pomp and circumstance, then thought better of it.  We decided to make just a fun family night to celebrate our first successful year of learning together as family  (and Mommy/Teacher needed something low-key that I didn't have to cook or plan too much). For dinner we went to Pizza Hut and used our last Homeschool Book It Gift certificate.  Each boy enjoyed their own personal pan pizza (and mommy enjoyed the free food she didn't have to cook)


Then we followed with dessert at Ritter' Frozen Custard.  It was a great night for all!  Nothing beats their Worms 'N' Dirt for kids (Chocolate custard, Crushed Oreos, and gummy worms!)






I also made diplomas.  I was planning on having the boys dictate their answers to me, but they were adamant about filling out the diploma themselves! We filled these out before we went out to dinner, and showed Daddy when we got home.  They were very proud of themselves:) A little stamping ink on their hands and we have a keepsake to keepsake in our home-school binders/portfolios!





Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Indulgence

Definition of Indulgence in Webster's dictionary is to:  
a : to give free rein to
b : to take unrestrained pleasure in .
I must MUST remember this on days I think I DESERVE indulgence. God never wants us to give "free reign to" anything in our lives except Him!