I wonder if you’d be interested in hearing about my method of recording. Perhaps you’re looking for some ideas. (Or maybe you’re not!) You might imagine, after nearly 21 years of homeschooling, I have worked out a very impressive recording system, perfected by many years of trial and error.
As you probably know, there are lots of recording methods: I could buy a special homeschooling journal or diary; I could download a template and insert all my info; I could set up my own computer file or use a special online website designed just for record keeping; I could even buy a homeschooling app for my tablet. So which of these methods do I use? I don’t actually use any of them. I use an old exercise book.
I keep my exercise book on the arm of the sofa, together with a pen. The book is there, right at hand, and it doesn’t take much effort to jot down a few notes at various times of the day. I don’t have to wait for a quiet moment. I don’t have to write neatly. I don’t even have to turn on my computer.
Perhaps my system doesn’t sound very sophisticated. It sure doesn’t look very impressive. But for me, it works. And it has always satisfied the Board of Studies Authorised Person when I am renewing my homeschooling registration.
Now I’m not saying, “Go out and buy an exercise book to use for your homeschool records.” The point of this post (I think) is…
Simple is sometimes all that’s needed. A method that doesn’t involve much time or effort is good. I’d rather spend more time with my children and less time compiling records. And a method that works is better than one that looks impressive.
Since starting this post, I’ve located my exercise book. Now I think I’ll go and take a couple of photos and add them to this story. Perhaps then you can be totally not impressed, but at least you won’t leave my blog thinking, “I could never do that. I feel so inadequate.”
Because everyone can scrawl a few notes in an exercise book.
So I don’t have an impressive record-keeping system, but that’s okay because I know…
Homeschool records, however sophisticated, are just words. If we really want to know if our children are learning, we only have to observe them. Sometimes that can be very impressive indeed.
Hi sue,
It all depends on how we as homeschoolers feel comfortable in keeping our records. mine are done by brid herself. She writes her work for the week and she adds as she needs to, or crosses if we didn't get to a lesson..
Leanne,
You are quite right. We should do what we feel comfortable with and what works for us. Charlotte keeps her own records like Brid. The younger girls find writing everything out too much of a chore. But when they are older they'll probably keep their own records too. Then I won't need my old exercise book!
The content's more important than the looks, isn't it? I used to make detailed plans that looked good but, I'm finding it more useful to keep it simple, now, and spend the time on other things. Maybe, I've got too old to be interested in making things look impressive!
God bless, Sue:-)
Vicky,
Yes, I agree about content being more important than looks!
Too old? Maybe you're just more experienced and confident these days. You'll have to share your method of recording with me. I've forgotten what you do.
God bless!
This is brilliant, so simple. I am trying to record what we do in a day while the kids are doing covid-19 school from home and while we are on holidays so I can get into a rhythm of seeing everything as learning, you know, in case we end up actually homeschooling properly. I haven’t got the hang of Evernote yet, but I have signed up and learning about it slowly.
Oh boy, they had to do a PAT test from home last week, it was English and Maths and kind of like the dreaded NAPLAN. If I’d known how pointless it made them feel beforehand, I would have sent an exemption note to school. It was hideous and proves nothing because they feel overwhelmed by how much it doesn’t relate to them that they find it a struggle to try.
A very Happy Easter to your family, Sue. Your posts are so helpful; I have been devouring information on record keeping lately. You simplify it all so well and make it feel so accessible to anyone and the official part seem less daunting.
God bless,
Angela
Ange,
I’m so glad you found something useful in this old post!
Sometimes simple is best, though, as you know, I did change the way I keep homeschool records when I discovered Evernote. That system is very simple too once the notebooks are set up and we know what we’re doing!
Whatever method we choose, it has to be quick and easy, doesn’t it? There’s no point spending lots of time putting together impressive and complicated journals if they intrude on our time with our kids. The records can’t become more important than the learning.
Because your kids did the tests at home, do you think you got a better insight into the testing process and whether it’s useful or not? I bet everyone was glad when the tests were over!
Back to Evernote: one advantage of this system over an old exercise book is that the end product is something worth having. It’s enjoyable scrolling back through old notebooks, looking at the photos, remembering outings and activities, reading old conversations, seeing book and movie images… Evernote turns homeschool record books into family journals! If you have any Evernote questions, I’d be happy to answer them.
Happy Easter, Ange! I hope you have a very blessed season with your family!
Haha, they’ve brought NAPLAN practice runs home in the past and it involved much groaning and rolling of eyes from me! I thought these PAT tests wouldn’t be as bad, but they were every bit as odious! I enjoyed reading a post of your girls trying NAPLAN tests your husband brought home!
I am definitely going to read your Evernote posts more closely because records aside, I always have five hundred tabs open (which annoys my kids when the use the computer, but they are very good and try not to close them on me!) and I really think it could solve my tab addiction!
Did you record everything for each child separately? Families do so much together that I feel like there would be a lot of doubling up, but I’m not sure if that is expected by NESA or not. And did you, for example, record that this activity fulfilled outcome ENe-1A in the syllabus?
It’s funny, I said to school that I know it doesn’t look like we are working on most of the things they are sending home, but instead (of making a poster or answering a heap of questions on something they aren’t super interested in), we have discussions about the topic. I’m finding it interesting writing down everything we do and how it can all be put in a school learning category.
Thanks, as always, I appreciate the time you take to reply and am very grateful to you!
God bless xxx
Ange,
I always have loads of tabs open at the same time too! I should just clip all the webpages into an Evernote notebook where I can find them again easily, but somehow I never get around to doing that.
I haven’t read the latest version of the homeschool registration guidelines, but I think NESA accepts that families will sometimes work together, each child participating at their own level. I used to use name tags to indicate which child did what work or activity etc. So if both Sophie and Gemma-Rose went on an outing or listened to the same read aloud book, I’d add the tags ‘Gemma-Rose’ and ‘Sophie’ to the notes. If the note was only applicable to one child, I’d add only one name tag. With Evernote, it’s possible to display the notes for just one child. It doesn’t matter if some notes are shared.
We used to have to add the outcome codes to each learning experience, but this is no longer necessary. One idea that I used: you could copy and paste the outcomes for each KLA into a note, and then look at them occasionally, and tick off the ones you think have been accomplished.
https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/eccc2072-6a61-4d10-b788-e807eca769d4/stage-statements-and-outcomes-programming-tool-K-10.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=
Conversations are a wonderful way to learn, aren’t they? Usually, we end up doing some googling while we’re talking. And we tell lots of stories which stick in our memories. Much better than trying to remember a list of facts! Maybe we don’t need visible things such as posters to prove our kids are learning. Jotting down a few notes is enough!
It’s always good to chat with you, Ange! May God bless you too!
I keep starting a reply and then being interrupted by something and when I get back to it, my computer has gone to sleep, the page reloaded and the message lost, it’s been happening for a few days! So apologies for that because I am very grateful to you.
Thank you again, so much, for your generosity in answering my questions and going to so much time and effort to do so. I really appreciate it, your posts and replies to my comments have been a big source of food for thought and encouragement for me this year. It’s really helped me to go deeper as a parent bit by bit.
I ask the Good Lord at night to look after you and your family, it’s a very special family to Him.
The other day I read a post that mentioned you had been renting for 25 years before you were able to buy your home – we have been renting for 18 years, it’s always comforting to know you’re not alone! I could really relate to the skirt/pants post too. It’s only in the last few years I’ve started wearing pretty tunics with jeans.
I hope coronavirus isolation and general madness out there hasn’t affected the peace in your home too much. I’m sorry to hear your children have lost jobs. It must be challenging for your husband to have to make an online platform for his students as well as going into the classroom. I hope this all changes the current perspective of at the way we educate children and the possibility that people can do more work from home. The world is always in too much of a rush with too much unnecessary stress.
God bless, you are incredibly good company, no wonder your family all enjoy being at home!
Ange,
How frustrating that you kept losing your message. Thank you so much for persevering!
Your comment really touched my heart. A warm note from a friend. Maybe we’ll meet one day and have a real chat over coffee. I’d love that!
I think you’re right about this virus crisis changing the way we think about work and education. It will change many things. Perhaps, as you suggested, we’ll all live a slower, less stressful life. However, there are a few things that I’m concerned about. I hope social distancing and online communication don’t affect how we relate to people. I wonder if we are getting too used to being isolated from each other and substituting the virtual for real experiences.
Ange, we’re all doing okay despite the problems. I hope you are too.
It’s always good to chat. Stay in touch! We’ll be keeping you and your family in our prayers. Thank you for remembering us in yours. May God bless you!