When we first started homeschooling more than 20 years ago, I thought that I had to
write down every single thing we did
each;day.;Even;though;I;was;only;teach-ing;a;first;grader;and;a;preschooler;at;the
time,;I;spent;several;hours;each;week;do-ing;this.;It;quickly;became;an;onerous
and;exhausting;task.;I;knew;that;I;had;to
figure;out;a;better;way;because;I;didn’t
want;to;quit;homeschooling,;and;yet;I
knew;that;I;could;not;continue;to;spend
so;much;time;recording;every;last;thing.
To;be;fair,;one;of;the;reasons;I;felt;obli-
gated;to;write;everything;down;was;that
in;1992,;the;year;we;began;homeschool-
ing,;Michigan;was;one;of;the;least;home-
school-friendly states in the country.
We;were;careful;not;to;leave;the;house
before;other;children;would;have;been
home;from;school,;and;we;didn’t;even;al-low;our;children;to;be;seen;in;the;front
window;by;neighbors;driving;by;until;at
least;3: 30;p.m.;It;was;a;scary;time.;Only
one;year;later,;the;law;changed;in;Michi-gan,;making;it;one;of;the;best;states;in
which;to;homeschool.;Your;state;may;be
different,;however,;so;before;taking;any
advice;regarding;record;keeping,;please
contact HSLDA if you are not certain
about;the;laws;in;your;state.*;Some;states
have;stringent;rules;and;are;not;nearly;as
relaxed;as;Michigan.
Record keeping at my house starts
with the planning that occurs in the
spring;of;the;previous;year.;Since;we’ve
been doing this for so many years, I
have;a;pretty;good;idea;of;what;we’ll;be
studying the following year. If you are
new;and;need;help;in;choosing;curricula,
a;great;place;to;start;is;perusing;the;re-
views;on;Cathy;Duffy’s;website;at;cathy
duffyreviews.com. Another great place
to;find;reviews;is;Karen;Andreola’s;web-
site at www.homeschoolhighlights.com/
reviews/. Both she and her husband,
Dean, contribute reviews to Christian
Book Distributors (CBD www.christian
book.com/page/homeschool) as well.
I;have;found;a;great;selection;at;www
. rainbowresource.com.;In;addition,;Rain-
bow;Resource’s;product;descriptions;are
so;detailed;that;you;should;be;able;to;get
help;in;selecting;curricula;there;as;well.
For;planning;and;record;keeping,;I;like
to;keep;a;three-ring;binder;with;tabbed
page separators. I divide by year, and
then;within;the;school;year;division,;I
divide;by;child.;I;write;down;each;sub-ject;the;child;will;be;studying;the;coming
year,;and;next;to;it,;I;write;the;books;that
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
by Nancy Doran
Keeping;Records
*Please check with Home School
Legal;Defense;Association;at;www
. hslda.org;or;(540);338-5600;for;the
record-keeping;laws;in;your;state.
Keeping;school;records;doesn’t;have;to;be
time;consuming,;difficult,;or;exhausting.
Planning and Organizing
