As mentioned in a previous post, we did thorough research on our state’s homeschooling documentation requirements. In our state, we’re required to maintain:

• A planner, diary,  or “another written record” detailing the subjects we’re teaching
• A portfolio showcasing each student’s work and progress
• Records of evaluations
• Attendance

We are required to keep these records for at least two years for elementary and middle school, and all four years of high school indefinitely. Keeping these records is essential not only for tracking progress but also in case our child decides to return to traditional school in the future (which, while we prefer homeschooling, is always an option for them).

We’ll be using a working planner (I’m a sucker for a good planner! I was super in to Happy Planner for a while) where I’ll journal what we do each day. This will serve double duty for both record-keeping and attendance, alongside our blog, and of course, I’ll keep their work for the portfolio. Our curriculum is also well-documented, so it will act as documentation on its own. Earlier this year, I also created a quick reference sheet for myself, which I’ll include in the records as well.

There are so many systems for record-keeping these days. Of course, there are the traditional methods—papers and planners—but there are also plenty of apps and digital options. I plan to use a mix, and honestly, I’ll probably end up over-documenting. I had a pretty terrifying experience as a kid when a guardian lost all of a family member’s homeschool records in a flood. Absolutely horrifying.

One app I find really useful for mind mapping and planning is Bublup—I love it! You can save photos and link videos or whatever you find that may be useful. But honestly, you could just create your own spreadsheet in Excel and call it a day.

One thing I’ve really worked on over the past few years is giving myself grace and recognizing when something isn’t working. So, I plan to adjust our record-keeping as we go to better fit our needs. I’m trying to see our curriculum more as an outline than a rigid schedule, as we discussed [here], but I do have a tendency to feel like I’m failing when things don’t go according to plan.

I also love that we can document our learning with photos from trips and field trips. Those will serve double duty, not just as memories but as part of our record-keeping too.

Another important part of record-keeping will be periodic reviews, especially for the portfolio section. I tend to go a little overboard when it comes to keeping my children’s work. However, Dad had a great idea this year to take photos of some of their work and share them with the grandparents, which I absolutely love—and I’m sure they will too.

It’s also important to know whether your state requires end-of-year reports. Ours doesn’t, and generally, the requirements are pretty lenient. That said, it’s still crucial to maintain your records so they’re available if needed. Our state also offers optional EOC (End of Course) testing, which is up to the student, parent, and the local school district.

There are so many benefits to maintaining detailed records of your homeschooling year. For us, the top benefits this year are peace of mind—it helps us feel confident and organized throughout the year—and the opportunity to see our kids’ personal growth and reflect on the knowledge they’ve gained, which will be my favorite part. Additionally, in later years, these records can serve as important support for high school or college applications.

We’re aiming to keep our record-keeping easy and breezy (as breezy as one can when maintaining records that could affect your child’s entire future!). We think our method of using the planner, along with the blog and portfolio, will cover all our bases. But definitely take the time to explore your options and find the system that works best for your family—whether that’s digital, paper, or a mix!

What cool resources do you know of that might be helpful for another homeschooling family?