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