Homeschool records and grades worth keeping

Keep what your state requires, then add a few things that will matter later. For most families that's a simple log of what was done each day, a handful of work samples from each subject, a list of books read, and, once high school starts, a transcript with grades and credits.

Start with what your state asks for

Some states want nothing. Some want attendance, a portfolio of work, test scores, or an annual evaluation. Check your state's rules and keep exactly what they ask for, in a form you could hand over if someone requested it.

What to keep even if nobody asks

• A daily or weekly log. What each child did, by subject. A few words per day is enough.
• Work samples. Two or three pieces per subject per term. A math test, a writing sample, a science drawing. Date them.
• A reading list. Every book your child reads or you read aloud. It adds up to an impressive list by spring.
• Test results, if you do any standardized testing.
• Photos of projects that don't fit in a folder, like a model volcano or a sewing project.

A single binder or folder per child per year works fine. So does a folder on your computer.

Grades in the early years

Before high school, grades are optional in most families. You know whether your child understands fractions, because you watched them do the problems. Many parents grade tests and written work just to keep a record, and some don't grade at all until middle school. If your state asks for grades, keep them.

High school changes things

From ninth grade on, grades and credits matter, because colleges, employers, and the military may ask for a transcript. As the parent, you issue it.

A homeschool transcript usually lists:

1. each course title, by year;
2. the credit earned, usually one credit for a full-year course;
3. the grade for each course;
4. a GPA;
5. your name, signature, and the date.

A credit is often based on the Carnegie unit, which is 120 hours of instruction for a full-year course. Keep a short description of each course too, including the books and materials you used. Colleges sometimes ask for them.

Keep it light

You've probably seen the planner that promises to track every minute of every subject. Most families who try it give up by November. A record you'll actually keep beats a perfect one you abandon.

Arbor keeps a record of each lesson as you mark it done, which covers the daily log for many families. Everything else fits in a binder.

Write it down as you go, and the end of the year takes an afternoon instead of a week.