One of the advantages of homeschooling is the ability to individualise education; therefore, record keeping is up to the parent as well as evaluating the child’s academic progress. Record keeping and assessment are decisive factors in homeschooling so that your homeschooling process will be constructive and educational. 

Let’s briefly discuss the aspects of record keeping, types of assessment, and ways to stay on track while homeschooling.

Why Record Keeping is Important

Record keeping is an essential part of homeschooling for several reasons:Record keeping is an essential part of homeschooling for several reasons:

Legal Requirements

Depending where in the world you live, homeschooling will have certain legal compliance which include record keeping among other things. These records can prove compliance with state or national education laws and also can evidence that your child is receiving adequate education.

Tracking Progress

Such records help the parent to monitor his/her child's academic performance at different years of learning. It can also help in knowing specific areas which can be of strength and areas which can be given more emphasis for giving a well balanced education.

College Applications

In case you wish your child to take college education, the records will be vital in admissions processes. Some of common documents that may be required by colleges include transcripts, portfolio, and/or score on standardised tests. The following are some records which make this process easier;

Reflecting on Learning

Periodic review of records can assist you self-remind of the things you have appreciated on your homeschooling strategy, and also that which requires improvement. It can also make you feel fulfilled as you observe your child’s improvement in his learning process.

Types of Records to Keep

Here are some of the key types of records you should consider maintaining in your homeschool.

• Attendance Records: Maintain a record writing down the days and the hours your child spends on such educational exercises. This could be as basic as a daily or weekly attendance record.

• Lesson Plans and Curriculum: It is advisable that you write down what range of topics you are planning to teach your child, the materials you are going to use and any modifications you intend to make in your plans to accommodate your child’s disability. This enables one to be able to know what has to be taught and what has not been taught.

• Assignments and Work Samples: Retain your child’s work including the written assignments, drawings, assignments, quizzes, and tests among others. This also proves learning and at the same time reveals structures with progress increment to facilitate time-based assessment.

• Grades and Assessments: Make records on the grades achieved in the completed assignments and tests. If you submitted any forms of other assessment, like portfolios, or project based assessments then record these too.

• Field Trip and Activity Logs: Make a note of any educational field trip, fun activities or any special projects. These are some of the experiences which are associated with homeschooling and are also helpful to your child in his or her learning process.

• Standardised Test Scores: If your child has taken any standardised tests, it is important for their records that you put this also down. They include some of these as measures that must be met in order to homeschool a child in their state.

Methods of Assessment

The assessment process in homeschooling can be made individualised to the child and can be made in line with the parent’s desired standards. Here are some common methods of assessment used in homeschooling.

• Standardised Testing: Perhaps, some families that homeschool their kids prefer to use standardised tests to determine the student’s academic performance.

• Narrative Evaluations: You aren’t required to give conventional grades, but instead provide narrative feedback, which details your child’s achievement, success areas, and challenges. This approach offers a better account of results concerning learning than the former method.

• Portfolios: A portfolio is a compilation of your child’s products that demonstrates what he or she has done and learned. It can be writing, projects, art, etc., in the form of any type of work that you take as proof of what they have learnt. I think that portfolios are effective when it comes to recording creative and project based assignments.

• Project-Based Assessments: In project based learning, the child deals with projects that are work related and shows mastery and comprehension about a topic. Such work can be evaluated with focus on factors including innovativeness, comprehensiveness, and one's understanding of the matter.

• Self-Assessment: Try to engage your child in self-assessing in relation to his or her performance and find out the topics he or she found easy to solve and the topics that need more practice. This entails self-awareness and makes the person be able to learn on his/her own.

• Quizzes and Tests: Achievement tests, which are formal tests or quizzes, may be employed to know the extent of your child’s learning in specific areas of knowledge. These can be of the formal type as used in textbooks or an informal one depending on the topics that have been under discussion.

Keeping records and evaluations are among the homeschooling components that will assist in your child’s education. By having records and having different ways of assessing the child, you can monitor the child’s progress, meet legal obligations, and make choices for the child. However, having the proper instruments and a working plan, every parent can feel rather comfortable with these sides of homeschooling and offer a child an engaging and valuable educational process.