The Easy Way To Keep Homeschool Records

Keeping records becomes really important during homeschool high school, so here are a few easy steps to follow that will help you succeed, but not get overwhelmed with the tasks.

1. Work on your high school records a little at a time, and start out simply.  Get a box, put it somewhere out of the way, and put papers and homeschool information in the box. There are better (and fancier) ways to keep records, but this is a great place to start simply. Whatever you do, start somewhere!
2. Keep a homeschool calendar, and note important high school dates on it.  Things like taking tests (PSAT, SAT, ect), keeping track of activities, and tracking the time you spend on subjects can be easier when you use a calendar. You can find important test dates on the College Board website.
3. Review your student’s college plans with both your spouse and your student. Make sure everyone knows what the goals are, like four years of English, three or four of science, etc. Most colleges like to see 24 or more credits on a high school transcript, so check out their requirements and plan appropriately.
4. Make changes if you need to. If something isn’t working, think about how to make it better, or throw it out! Even if a curriculum worked with another child, it might not work with their sibling, and you might have to try something new. Don’t try to push a square peg into a round hole!
5. Start small with your transcript. You don’t have to make a complete transcript the first time you sit down to do so. Just try to list out course titles first, or create a template first.  Getting something down on paper will make you feel better, and you can come back later to continue working on it.
6. Make sure that you include all the things your student is learning on their transcript, including the things they learn on their own. If something your child does constantly makes you a little annoyed, it’s possible that that activity is their “delight” activity, the one they engage in without being made to, like playing piano, doing ballet, or programming on the computer. Just pay attention.
7. To project what your child’s SAT score might be before they take it (which is important so you can start to think about good fit colleges), take their PSAT results and add a zero. For instance, if they scored a 50 on the math section of the PSAT, they are likely to score a 500 on the math section of the SAT. 
8. Keep track of what your child is reading, and include that in your records. You can have your student do this, or you can do it. Colleges will want to see this list when you apply, so add it to your records.
9. There are lots of different ways to homeschool, and none of them is the only one right way. Colleges know this, so don’t worry and think you must change your homeschool to fit some ideal, or make it look like your best friend’s homeschool. Your children are unique, and so is your homeschool. Relax, and enjoy it!

Get some record keeping samples for the homeschool, just click here