There is so much paperwork generated in the average homeschool academic session that it can be quite a difficult task to choose what is to be added to the homeschool student’s portfolio, and what can be left out. Here are some guidelines to make this task easier on the homeschool parent putting the portfolio together at the end of the school year.
Monitor the Progress
It is important to understand the purpose of the portfolio. The homeschool teacher is putting together a set of documents that show that the homeschool student went from a particular point in their state of knowledge to a higher one. Look at the tools used, activities done and written work that support this progress. These are the things that need to go in, not just a random bunch of memories and photographs.
Showcase the Best
You don’t need to add all ten worksheets done on addition to prove that your child can now add. You just need to pick the worksheet on which he got the best scores. That way the examiner knows that the child has picked up the skill. Future college counselors know that the child was diligent in his formative years, and yes has a desire to excel.
Trace Emotional, Physical and Spiritual Growth
The academic growth of the homeschool student is the primary purpose of the homeschool portfolio. However there is also the need to trace how the child has grown in other manners over the past academic session. Did he volunteer at a charity event? Do something nice for a less fortunate soul? Spend time with someone who needed help?
All these events also help the child grow. However these achievements are not to be showcased in the formal portfolio. You can have a secondary portfolio which can serve as an unofficial memory book or scrapbook. It will allow the state certified teacher a better look into just how much your child has picked up in terms of life skills in the past year. While it may not be an officially required document, it will be an invaluable one to the homeschool student when the child grows up.
