Daily Log

Apparently, I have misplaced my daily log book.  I can not find it anywhere.  In Florida, you have to keep a daily log of activities.  So, until I find the book, I will have to log them here, then copy them over.  I do not log homework hours.

Monday January 26, 2015

Caitlin:  Math, Reading, Writing, Grammar, History, and Science.

DJ:  Science:  60 minutes
Japanese:  30 minutes
Music:  30 minutes
Reading:  30 minutes
Math:  60 minutes
History:  60 minutes
Nutrition:  30 minutes.

Tuesday January 27, 2015-  the same as above for both children.  DJ also had Guitar Club for 90 minutes.

Wednesday January 28, 2015  DJ also attended evening church

Caitlin:  Math, Reading, Grammar and Writing

DJ:  Math:  60 minutes
History:  30 minutes
Science:  30 minutes

Thursday January 29, 2015-  Snow Day, lol

Friday January 30, 2015-  the same as Monday January 26th for both children.

Saturday January 31st 4H County Events

Monday February 2, 2015  Same as Monday January 26th for both children.  DJ finished the 3rd Hunger Games book, and did his book report. 

Tuesday February 3, 2015.  Same as Monday January 26th, for both children.  Caitlin finished the first Warriors book, and started her book report.  Caitlin will get 30 min of guitar lessons from her brother, each Tuesday, as he has Guitar Club Tuesday evenings.  We are also walking this morning, before lunch.

Homeschool Evaluation, Porfolios

In the state of Florida, you must submit a yearly evaluation to the school in your county. There are 3 different methods you can choose from. Ours is coming due at the end of this month, so I thought I would share the ways in which you can do your evaluation.

1- Take the standardized test, given by the school district, for your childs grade.

2- Have a certified teacher, of your choice, evaluate your child. They can either do this in person or over the phone. They need to review your portfolio, and have a discussion with your child. Sometimes, especially in rural areas, it is hard to find a local evaluator. You could call your school district, to see if they know of any evaluators, they arent very helfpful though. You could join some support groups, and find out whom they used. Here are a list of Florida Homeschool Evaluators http://www.southcountyhomeschoolers.org/SCHS/HTH/Evaluators.HTML

3- The third choice is to have your child evaluated by a psychologist.

Whichever method you choose, you do have to submit a yearly evaluation. Your school year will run from the date you gave your letter of intent, until the end of your school year. I did not realize this myself, so our school year actually started at the end of Sept, even though he went to public school in August. We use the evaluation method, with a certified teacher, and a portfolio. In Florida a portfolio should include:
1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.

2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student."

You can achieve this many ways. I keep a log, which I write down what we do each day, and I also have this blog, which is public, and I do not have to worry about misplacing LOL. For my portfolio, I put in all tests, we test every week, plus any art work, Spanish, or other crafts done. Some people make fancy portfolios, mine is just in a binder, with each class marked. You do not need to put every piece of paper, in a portfolio, just a sampling. However, you must keep all papers, and materials used, for at least two years, in case the county wants to investigate. I guess this blog qualifies as my fancy portfolio. An evaluation can cost about 50-65 dollars, depending on the teacher doing it. My evaluator charges 55 dollars, and her fees did not go up this year. If you live in Gilchrist, Levy, Dixie, or any of the surrounding areas, and you can not find an evaluator let me know, and I will give you her name, and number.

Homeschooling Record Keeping Does Your State Have Requirements?

I am curious about homeschoolers in other states, and record keeping. Does your state have strict laws, about record keeping, or just relaxed on the issue? Here in Florida, you have to keep all school work, per homeschooled child, for 2 years. The school district can request, to come in and inspect, but they have to give at least 2 weeks written notice. At the end of each school year, a certified teacher must do an evaluation, of your portfolio and submit it to the school. You can also take the standardized test, or have your child evaluated by a psychologist. Because there are no laws, stating what a homeschooled child has to learn, only that they are showing progress in their learning activities, the portfolio can contain whatever you choose to put in it. I am getting ready to do my first evaluation, in September. I have just started putting the portfolio together. So how about in your state? Do you have to keep specific records, for the state?