|
 Why
a Portfolio?
A
portfolio requires extra time to put together each year, but
it's well worth the effort. Not only will you enjoy looking
through old portfolios and reminiscing about the activities
and school work in which your children were involved, but
some colleges prefer portfolios over grades for homeschooled
students. A portfolio is more relevant to homeschooling and
is an excellent way of demonstrating the type of education
your child has had and what resources were used in giving
him or her that education.
Supplies
Needed
You
will need a 3-ring binder at least 3 to 4 inches thick (You
can use your child's own artwork in front if you buy one with
an insertable cover.), dividers, photo album pages ("magnetic"
pages for mounting photos), and clear protector pages for
each child.
How
to Begin
At
the beginning of the school year, place the following items
in the front of each portfolio.
| Title
Page |
Include
the child's name, age, grade, birthday, and a recent
photo. |
| Medical
Records |
Use
this section to keep track of immunizations and medical,
optometry, and dental checkups. |
| Learning
Objectives |
Include
a list of goals for the year in each subject. [Example:
English, to include language, literature, speech, and
composition. (1) gain a solid foundation in basic grammar,
(2) develop clear and effective writing, (3) learn to
read with discernment various types of literature, (4)
continue to practice verbal communication through oral
reports, speeches, and drama participation.] |
| Resources |
Include
a list of books and materials used during the year to
teach the various subjects. Arrange by subject and include
the title and publisher or author. |
| Reading
List |
Include
a list of books your student read on his own. List the
title, author, and type of book (fiction, nonfiction,
poetry, etc.). |
|
Evaluations |
Include
copies of report cards, transcripts, achievement test
results, or professional evaluations, if applicable. |
|
Awards |
Include
any awards, certificates of completion, and/or diplomas
received from classes or outside activities which are
not included in the sections below. |
Subject
Sections
Divide
the remainder of the notebook into subjects. Throughout the
year add to your portfolio by including the following (Don't
wait until the last minute or you won't do a good job!):
| Language
Arts |
Include
copies of language arts worksheets and writing projects
illustrating what he has learned in penmanship, grammar,
mechanics, spelling, vocabulary, and composition. I
recommend including at least one or two compositions
per month showing the improvement made during the year.
Include a list of literature or poetry read or include
this in the Reading List above. Include certificates
of completion or report cards of language arts classes
he takes outside the home, illustrations or drawings
your child does related to language arts, and photos
of any awards your child receives related to this subject.
If your child has his or her work published in any publication,
include tear sheets from the publication. |
| Math |
Put
in sample pages of your child's math workbook, one or
two lessons per month to illustrate what he has learned
during the year. Also include samples (or list resources)
of additional math activities such logic, consumer math,
history of math, and math games. Include certificates
of completion or report cards of math classes he takes
outside the home, illustrations or drawings your child
does related to math, and photos of any awards your
child receives related to this subject. |
| Science |
Include
samples of written lab reports and compositions related
to science, photos of your child doing lab activities
(example: building a volcano), photos and brochures
of field trips that are science related, certificates
of completion or report cards of science classes he
takes outside the home, illustrations or drawings your
child does related to science (examples: a diagram of
a cell or a print-out of a multimedia presentation of
the planets), photos of any awards your child receives
related to this subject, and sample workbook pages,
if applicable. |
| Social
Studies/History |
Include
samples of written compositions, photos and brochures
of field trips that are history related, certificates
of completion or report cards of social studies classes
he takes outside the home, illustrations or drawings
your child does (examples: mapwork or a print-out of
a multimedia presentation of a period in ancient history),
photos of any awards your child receives related to
this subject, and sample workbook pages, if applicable. |
| Technology |
Include
samples of written compositions related to technology,
samples showing his use of word processing software,
samples of your child's internet research (examples:
printing out a fact sheet on Egyptian pyramids or a
diagram of the heart), photos and brochures of field
trips that are technology related, certificates of completion
or report cards of technology classes he takes outside
the home, illustrations or drawings your child does
on the computer, a print-out of a database or spreadsheet
your child created, a print-out of a multimedia presentation,
photos of any awards your child receives related to
this subject, and sample workbook pages, if applicable. |
| Art |
Include
samples of written compositions (related to art, art
appreciation, and art history), samples or photos of
your child's artwork, photos and brochures of field
trips that are art related, certificates of completion
or report cards of art classes he takes outside the
home, photos of any awards your child receives related
to this subject, and sample workbook pages, if applicable. |
| Music |
Include
samples of written compositions (related to music, music
appreciation, and music history), photos and brochures
of field trips that are music related, certificates
of completion or report cards of music classes he takes
outside the home, photos and programs of your child's
participation in music lessons or other music activities
(examples: singing or playing on a praise and worship
team or ministering to the elderly), samples of music
compositions your child has written, photos of any awards
your child receives related to this subject, and sample
workbook pages, if applicable. |
| Physical
Education/Health |
Include
photos of your child playing softball, bowling, swimming,
doing aerobics, riding bicycles, attending gymnastic
classes, etc. Include samples of compositions or illustrations
related to health (example: diagram of the food pyramid).
Include certificates of completion or report cards of
physical eduation or health classes he takes outside
the home, photos of any awards your child receives related
to this subject, and sample workbook pages, if applicable. |
| Extracurricular
Activities |
Be
sure to include photos of your child interacting with
other children as proof of socialization such as playing
soccer, playing games, attending church or youth group,
attending birthday parties, or volunteering together
to clean up a community park. |
k
Grades
Because grades are not required for homeschool students
in Oklahoma, parents can elect to award letter grades,
pass/fail, or no grades (credit awarded for course completed
in lieu of grades) for each subject studied. A well-kept
log book and portfolio are better indicators of what homeschool
children have studied and learned. Although many colleges
are now asking to see portfolios, most homeschool transcripts
do include grades as this is what is expected. If a parent
does choose to award letter grades, they should choose
their own method of arriving at grades and add this information
to their portfolio. |
k
Another
good resource for recordkeeping is the The
Checklist.
Go
to Transcripts
Back
to Recordkeeping
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