i was wondering if anyone is or has kept a portfolio for thier kids and if you have any helpful suggestions

Hi Ellen,

I have homeschooled 3 years (1st - 3rd) and have always kept a portfolio. So, for what it's worth, this is what I do:

I keep several 3 ring binders with dividers - one for each subject. Some subjects are self contained in a workbook, but I keep any extras in the binder, so I don't lose track of what we've done. I also keep a reading list in my "reading" section to track what is assigned vs. fun reading.

Aside from that, I made a spreadsheet to track the work we do each week. The columns are labeled with the day of the week, with one space for the weekend (in case of field trips) and another bigger column for notes. On the rows, I have the subjects labeled. Typically I would fill the spaces either with the amount of time we spent or which chapter or pages we covered, not a lot of detail, more to track where we were.

I also just keep one quick-look sheet that lists everything I have for school - book name, authors etc. and how much I hope to accomplish for the year. If we do extracurricular (like a class we've signed up for), I would add that on this sheet too - but also track it on the weekly sheet, when we did it.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

Catherine