Many homeschooling parents neglect to provide their students with report cards, because they may feel that they already have enough records of their progress. However, most states require that these reports are maintained within the cumulative file.
Do Not Forget about a Transcript
After the student has transitioned into high school, a transcript will need to be created for them. Regardless if they transfer out of homeschooling into a traditional school for these final years or not, a transcript will still be necessary for higher learning purposes.
Maintain a Student Portfolio and Reading List
Over the years that a parent homeschools his or her children, a portfolio of past work should be maintained in order to efficiently monitor progress over time. Reading lists should also be followed to ensure the student develops reading comprehension levels that at least match their grades.
Discuss Importance of Records with Student
One of the biggest steps that should be taken is to educate the student on the importance of maintaining and updating records. By doing so, the student will understand the sense of urgency involved and be more willing to help parents keep track of these required reports over the years.
Even though there are several key differences between traditional schools and homeschools, recordkeeping is a common trend that exists in both learning environments. It is vital that parents check and follow any state laws and regulations that focus on recordkeeping for homeschooled students. Keeping up with these records will also allow parents to track their own progress as homeschooling instructors. It will create an article critique writing trail that can quickly and easily be accessed by tutors, mentors and any other individual that needs to review the student's progress.