One of the most difficult parts of any task is sometimes JUST GETTING IT STARTED! For the past several months, we had been gathering the documentation from our past year of learning in order to assemble our portfolio. I had a hard time getting motivated for some reason! After a gentle nudge from the Lord, I now have before me a beautiful record of learning from the past school year. Here are some tips from a website that you can use all year long. Whether or not your state homeschooling law requires you to compile a portfolio, they provide a great lifelong record of your child/ren's learning and events that might otherwise be forgotten. It will also stir your creative juices as you and your children put it all together. This can be lots of fun too. Portfolios are also a great way to share the learning that took place with family and friends. Don't wait until the last minute though, if you are rushing through it, that may take all of the joy out of the process! If you find the article below helpful, click on the link for a more detailed look at each tip!
by Ellen L. Stanclift Compiling your childrens portfolios does not have to be difficult, but it can be time consuming. Here are some ways to stay on top of things, as well as ways to put your own personal mark on these end of year collections: Begin organized and stay organized. Keep a file for every subject area, for every child. You will find that just having a folder into which your children can place their work will save you hours of running around at the end of the year. Date all completed worksheets and place them in the appropriate file immediately. For books (like math consumables), you can date the appropriate worksheet and leave it in the book, tearing out examples when you put your portfolio together. Document everything you can.
Write a weekly log. Take lots of pictures!
Take photos of items too large to fit into the scrapbook. When in doubt, keep it! Its a good idea to keep all sketches, diagrams, spelling tests, maps, current event projects, reports, handwriting samples, book reports, creative writing examples, math worksheets & tests, foreign language samples, ticket stubs to special events (such as museum trips, theater events, etc.) and map & time line projects. You can always weed out later ! But by saving them in an organized, methodical way, you will be able to pick and choose which samples you can best include. Give yourself plenty of time to sort and compile your portfolio.
Neatness does count! Dont forget the basics. Make sure your childs name, address, and other relevant information is contained on the front or within your portfolio. Have fun!
In conclusion, remember that your childs portfolio is a memento that will record his homeschool journey.Ask yourself what meant the most to you this year and make sure all those events or projects are included. Look at this book as your own keepsake, as well as the message you hope to convey to your evaluators. Taking the extra time to make it special will make it a treasure for you, but it will also help to give the best window into your homeschool. Make sure that window is one you want everyone to see! In doing so, you will provide yourself with a record of a moment in time that will last a lifetime.
It saddens me to see this post. This method of making a portfolio to satisfy the PA Home Education law causes much unnecessary stress in homeschool families. Let me explain. I evaluated about 100 children this year and the happiest families were those that have taken a much less vigorous approach.
The law requires a portfolio which is nothing more than a collection of samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative materials used or developed by the student to satisfy that progress in the overall program was achieved. The law does not require parents to make scrapbooks of mementos. If parents chose to make memory books that is a personal matter and should contain personal information and photos.
The law requires certain things, but there is no need to take it to a stressful level. Even though all analogies fall short, does one over pay their taxes to prove they are good citizens; put smiley faces on their 1040, voluntarily submit personal financial documents not required, or ask their financial advisor to write up a summary of their financial year for the IRS? Why do we provide more information to the School Districts than necessary, make impressive (prideful?) scrapbooks, or even get evaluators to write up a summary for the school district (when a simple 1 page check off is sufficient)?
Do you feel a personal attachment to the portfolio; that it is personal reflection of your capability or your child? My portfolios are about 10 pages, stapled together. (I staple neatly, however, I do NOT agree that neatness counts. The superintendents do not grade the parent on the portfolios.) My portfolio is not a reflection of my capabilities, my creativity or my childrens intelligence or spirit. It is a simple document to satisfy the law; my teaching and children satisfy the Lord.
My last portfolio took 10 minutes to gather and staple, the evaluation took another 10 minutes. I spent the difference of time and money on my family. My suggestion is to relax, enjoy your learning experiences together and focus on what is important.
Thank you for your view on portfolios. I'm sure there are many different opinions on what works best. My children are putting together their portfolios all year long so there is really nothing to put together at the end of the school year. I have always had them involved in their portfolios. It has never been just mom's job. I buy them each a three ring binder and some subject dividers. Throughout the school year they add different materials to each subject area...tests for math, writing assignments they are proud of, a field trip log, a reading list, lab sheets from science (often complete with photos) some art or photos of their art projects, perhaps a list of Bible verses they have memorized and any awards they may have earned. The portfolio has always been pretty stress free for us and we enjoy looking over it with our evaluator at the end of the year. I place our daily log book in the inside front pocket of the binder and that's what I hand in to the school district. They have always been pleased, my evaluator has always liked what we did and the children have always felt like they have been a major part of accomplishing it. Having the children do it themselves throughout the year has helped them learn to be accountable and organized. My older son has taken the system to keep track of his Boy Scout advancements and has taught the rest of the boys in his troop these organization skills.
I do think that neatness and personlizing this are important. The portfolio, whether it's graded or not, is a reflection of my children. We want to offer a positive reflection and a good witness to the school. I don't want to overload them so we keep it to a certain size. I also look at our portfolios as something my children can look at when they are grown ... a keepsake if you will, of their school years.
How does everyone else handle their portfolio? Please share!
Blessings,
Barb
HSN PA State Coordinator
Edited by Pennsylvania on Jul. 21, 2006 at 4:55 PM
It is good to have a children make their own portfolio and it is nice to have several samples to pick from when creating the portfolio for the school district. As an evaluator, though, I do not like to see any portfolio over 1/2 inch thick. The reason is that the school district then comes to expect that from all homeschoolers. I say this because I live in a school district where everyone turns in a 3-inch binder AND MEETS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. When families OVER comply with the law, they set the standard (since the law is so vague) for everyone else in the school district. In my case, the superintendent started due process (the process of forcing us to put our children in public or private school) because I refused to meet with him and my portfolio was not 3 inches thick.
To me the portfolio does NOT reflect what a child can do or has done. I have seen very large portfolios where, as an evaluator, I was very unimpressed with the child. I have seen other portfolios that were just pages long but the student was extremely impressive, not only to talk to but also in what he/she had done. It is much more exciting to talk to such students vs. looking at a 3 inch portfolio. I always wonder what a family is trying to hide from me when they bring me such large portfolios. But it "looks good" therefore the student must have been educated. I just think of how much time was put into the portfolio vs. spending that time with their children.
If you spend 40 hours figuring out your taxes and filling them out - do you think that adding the extra worksheets and your check registry (daily log) will help the IRS when they go to check your forms? What would happen if people started paying an extra $100 on their taxes every year? How do you think the IRS would react to the people who do not add $100 to their taxes every year? What would happen if someone started adding $1000 every year? What is their reasoning for paying extra? Don't you wonder?
Incidentally, I never add pictures to my portfolio. I do not know how many people will look at the portfolio and I do not really want lots of people from the school district knowing what my kids look like, where I live and that I homeschool. I can list the things my children have been in without adding a picture to "prove" it.
It saddens me that this post saddens you! I am going to take the time to reply to some of your statements. Let me say that your first assumption is incorrect. Our family doesn't create our portfolios to satisfy the PA homeschool law. We would put these together even if they were not required to by law. Our portfolios are not *thick* and we do not over comply. We put several samples from each subject, some more, some less at our own discretion. The law does not state how to keep or how to construct the portfolios, only that they should contain samples from each subject. Why do you assume over compliance from the post? These are all practical tips. Record keeping and tips on how to stay organized is something that we homeschool mothers need and want whether we reside in PA or not. There are plenty of homeschoolers in other states who keep good records. Please don't add more stress to those who live in PA and feel the need do this. We use a very simple check off list with space to add other items to the log (if I see fit) to do so, listing (day 1) to (day 180). Very simple and easy to do! By attacking people who choose to use their cameras for documentation you are again placing limitations on those who have children who depend on this to show learning has occurred with the "hands on" child or unschooler. Instead of trying to make people feel guilty for whatever approach to record keeping they choose, you'd be more wise to remain involved in changing the hs law in PA. I am all for encouraging mothers and providing as many helpful and creative learning ideas as I can find, for families in PA or any other state. We waste so much time! Before we know it our children are grown and that's that!
In response to the comment above my own, maybe you do not like to see portfolios over 1/2 inch thick but that is not your call and you've decided in your mind that those who have a little more material to show must be hiding something! That is your perspective and way of judging what you see to the exclusion of those whose portfolios are 3/4 of an inch thick. :o( When homeschoolers decide to meet with the superintendent that is a whole different ball game and has NOTHING to do with the original post of record keeping tips. Homeschoolers in PA are not required by law to meet with the supers and they need to be informed of this but again it has NOTHING to do with the original post.
I'm sorry to hear that you had to deal with due process to whatever degree but the district cannot legally do this based upon the size of your portfolio unless there was nothing there. If we advise homeschoolers in PA to staple together 5 pages of samples then we are inviting trouble. Until the law is changed, lets take care not to fall into either extremes of over compliance or under compliance. Do what is *right* for your family and let *Him* be your guide!
Cathy
(PA HSN Contributor)
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Posted by magistramom 
Jun. 16, 2006 - thank you!