| Many states allow you to have a certified teacher | | | | 3. Tickets or programs of events that you have |
| look over a portfolio of your child's work at the | | | | attended. |
| end of the year. The teacher signs that your child | | | | 4. Test results if your child took a standardized |
| is up to grade level and your homeschool year | | | | test of some sort. |
| can be considered completed. Putting together | | | | 5. Attendance records if your state requires |
| homeschool portfolios can be an intimidating | | | | these. |
| thought even to someone that has done it | | | | 6. Pictures or videos of projects that your child |
| before. Really, it can be quite a simple process if | | | | completed during the course of the year. |
| you know what to include. | | | | 7. Artwork - If you put dates on your child's |
| I collect my children's work into a folder that is on | | | | papers, it's fun to look at a picture from the |
| my bookshelf and add to it several times a week. | | | | beginning of the year and compare that with a |
| When they have completed a book or written a | | | | picture from the end of the year. |
| story or picture I just put it in the folder. I try to | | | | 8. Any writing that your child has done. This can |
| make sure I put a date on each paper that I put | | | | include poetry, journals, stories, essays, research |
| in the folder. I don't have to organize it or arrange | | | | papers, or any other writing that they have done. |
| it until the end of the school year. Just before I | | | | Again, comparing a piece from the beginning of |
| meet with the teacher at the end of the year, I | | | | the year with one from the end of the year can |
| take out the folder of collected items and make | | | | be quite rewarding. |
| piles by subject. Then I organize each pile by date. | | | | 9. Workbooks that have been used during the |
| Some people like to make a fancy scrapbook for | | | | course of the last year. |
| their portfolio. I just prefer to make piles by | | | | Preparing a homeschool portfolio doesn't have to |
| subject. You could put each subject into a nice | | | | be a bothersome chore. If you have a place to |
| notebook, but for the most part, this is not | | | | collect your child's work during the year, then |
| necessary. | | | | pulling together a portfolio can actually be fun. You |
| Here are some items you might want to include in | | | | can reminisce over all the activities you have done |
| your homeschool portfolio: | | | | and marvel over your child's progress for the |
| 1. Reading lists | | | | year. |
| 2. Daily or weekly logs that your child has filled in. | | | | |