I was lucky enough to find a GeoSafari school version. I'd love to use it to teach vocabulary words from Apologia Biology next year. I'm very grateful for the codes and for the vocabulary lists on your site. One question, though. How did you teach all of these vocabulary words in just 2 weeks? I was thinking about starting in the summer but wanted to know what you guys did. Thanks in advance.

Is this question for Donna? I'm sorry I can't help you there. Her kiddos are really smart (take after their mama) and probably can do more than the average kids.

We bought the laptop version and I have made two or three cards for it. I may look into the larger standup version. I'll get one, if I can find one at a very good price .

Check E-Bay often for these! I bought one for my daughter last year for under $50.00 and it even came with some cards! I was so enthused I bought one for a niece's birthday, again with cards, for about $40.00!

I already have a laptop version, so I don't really need an upright one. I just like that it is bigger and easier for the kiddos to look at (I think). Unless one comes close to free, I don't think I'll get one . I wonder if I could find one at a garage sale?

You know I've seen the Geosafari stuff at our local ed store but I've never seen the main part So where would you find this? How much do they run? What can you use them for in school work?

Yes, I'm full of questions today but I've been racking my brain and trying to figure out what these things are & how to use them. If they are worth the $$ then I don't mind spending it just need info

If you go to Donna's Geosafari Game page, you'll see a little of what you can do for school. I use it for review lessons. The cards are for phonics, matching, math, geography, etc. It is a fun way for the kids to review/study. I made up a page for Latin meanings, but I did it wrong and have to start over . I also did one for biology vocabulary words. HTH

I've been meaning to ask my son all day how he studied his vocabulary for Biology. He used the Geosafari some, --- well I need to ask him. I know he studied the words just about every day that he did a lesson. He enjoyed Exploring Creation with Biology a great deal and that helped him remember the terms ... I'll ask him tomorrow.

Thanks, Donna, I appreciate that. My grandson loves Apologia Physical Science but he's having difficulty with the vocabulary words. When I saw the vocabulary lists for biology, I knew I'd have to get him some help. That's why I went looking for GeoSafari. Now that I have it, I'm not exactly sure what to do with it. At first glance, two weeks does not seem long enough to learn over 40 vocabulary words. I'm probably just worrying over nothing but I didn't think it would hurt to ask. Thanks again.

I bought mine at A Smarter Outlook. I'm a very nervous online shopper and when I didn't hear from them, I wrote asking for an explanation. I must say, they were very nice about it. I would buy from them again. I don't have the nerve to use Ebay. I really hope this helps with the massive vocabulary lists in Apologia Biology. The kids seem to like using the geography packs I bought.

John used the geosafari some, but he mostly used the vocabulary bookmarks. He took some time each day to study the vocabulary (usually after doing the lesson).

I've been thinking about homeschooling (since God has given me such wonderful ideas without looking at any curriculum). Since my husband is on board now I'm going ahead with it. There's a homeschooling convention in Indianapolis this weekend and I'm going! I'm very excited. I have my book bag for all the stuff I'm going to get. I'm also bringing my address labels (someone said they have you fill out a whole bunch of lists).

I have a 3 and 2 yr. old so the advice I've gotten to homeschool them is kinda what I'm doing now. Be with them and live life with them. I try to make the best of every opportunity to teach them. Like while traveling home from Grandma's house I did some math with Cassia (the oldest), "Look Cassia one truck ... Look Cassia another truck. One plus one equals two trucks. We've passed by two trucks!" When we're in the supermarket I try to get the kids to find letters on the products and say what the letter sounds like. I use the letter magnets on the freezer to teach letter recognition and what the letter sounds like ... etc., etc...
I've read Debbie Pearl's book To Train Up A Child. She taught me to take advantage of every opportunity to teach your children.

I do have a question about planning and keeping record and stuff like that. Do I need forms and charts? I've already been writing down every day in a day planner what I teach them. If I start homeschooling do I have to be more official?

Hi Violet, You will need to see what is required from your state. Here in FL we do not need to keep any records until 1st grade. I did start keeping records in K, just to get me use to the idea. Your state may require something else.

When you go to the convention they should have all the information you need. If not, I am sure someone on this list will be able to direct you to a link to your state.

As for planning, Donna has lots of helpful information on her web site at Homeschool Helps. I have learned a lot from that site and the forms I use for my records are from there also.

Hope that helps.

I hope you have a great time at the convention. As far as planning and keeping records, I concur with Michelle said above!!

Hey y'all! I'm back from the convention and I learned that here in Indiana all we need is an attendance record. I still want to keep very organized records of everything we do. I'm considering that in my decision to get an organization software program. I heard if a superintendent asks to see my records I should hand them over. That's why I want to keep really good records. Anything online for me is a whole lot more organized than what I can write down on paper. Thanks for your help!

Violet, if the superintendent needs to see your records, then you'll need to show them. You do not need to show them everything. What they will want is a record that shows the child is progressing in his/her learning.

Here in FL we have to keep records for two years. If the superintendent wants to see records they have to give a written 15 day notice. It is a rare thing to happen, usually they don't have the time, but if you are asked for records it is no big thing. You will be homeschooling with pride, keeping good records, and there is no reason not to show off your hard work. I would not take my children to see them or let the school board into my home. This is my .

That's good advice, Applie. I did hear that you should give what they ask for nothing more nothing less and that they can't come into your home.

I am so far behind!!!! I have to start working on it this weekend.

Coming to this forum every now and then is a great reminder for me to keep up on my record keeping.

I need to print out photos of things they have done and put them in the portfolio. I am doing better about keeping them up this year, than last year.

I am way behind on ours.

I have a 3-ring binder with my log of days. I also must keep a log of books read and used that is on a spreadsheet. I print out each month's log of books on the last day of the month.

I am hoping the new law in this state passes - no more portfolio to show the sd, just show to evaluator and the letter from evaulator will be what goes to sd.

Hey I'm new here and to homeschooling. I haven't started yet, but I'm reading up to be prepared when I do.

Is there a particular way you all like to organize your kids' portfolios? Does everyone basically do the same type of portfolios? Are your kids' portfolios like the records public and private schools keeps for your kids?

I think you'll find almost as many different kind of portfolios as there are homeschoolers.

We keep records mainly by making scrapbooks or notebooks of all our activities. The extra stuff that don't go in the notebooks I keep in a 3 ring binder under headings per subject. My 3 ring binder typically also contains goal sheets, planning sheets, a log of books read, a list of field trips, and a list of resources.

Our books are a lot like Sumi's. Each child has their own. I have divided the sections up like this: God's Child (tells about the student and any awards they have won), Records (monthly journaling of what they did, books used, field trips), Math, English, Writing, Spelling, Science, Geography, History, Etc. (art, P.E., music), at the very end the kids like to put some of their drawings in.

We also do notebooks. Right now we are working on a body study. Once it is all done, I will have it bound. In the this notebook will be a list of books, videos, fieldtrips, worksheets, activities, experiments, coloring pages, etc. All in one notebook. This will be given to the evaluater, along with the portfolio. That is how we do things.

I put together a 3-ring binder for each of the kids at the beginning of the year, intending on making portfolios for each of them. Well...since the state doesn't require it, and we began homeschooling at the last minute, I haven't exactly kept up...

But, I'll be ahead of the game for next year! I'm making up my lesson plans for the year in excel for next year and I'll be ready.

I was working on my daughter's portfolio last night and realized, I forgot to put her Pirate Lapbook together. So, we will be working on that this weekend. The other big problem that I see, is that she hasn't put the date on most of her work and now I can't remember when we did the pirate lesson. I'll have to look in my blog and see what day it was.

Thankfully, I had printed out our library "checked out" list and kept it for our records of returns. I forgot to list all reading books for each kid. I was able to go back to the list and type up all the books she has read. I am sure I missed a few. I feel like I am going around in circles. I need to be better organized next year.

I'll also be printing out pictures to add to the portfolios and I will be pretty much done.

That was me last year, but this year I got a 3 ring binder put in page protector's, then printed off Donna's subjects pages. That helped quite a bit then I was able to just put the pages we did in the binder. The other things in there are a page for library books checked out, a video list for educational movies, field trips, calendar pages, a few weather charts of this year.

My point was it looks really nice and it has been so easy for me to keep up this year with little effort on my part.

I'm glad you are both pretty much done. My kids' portfolios look awful - everything is just stuck in there willy-nilly. I don't have to show them to anyone, but I do have to maintain them. I need to fix them up!

I did all that; just didn't think to fill out the library lists.

Applie, you mentioned the pirate lapbook here in the forums and in your blog. You could look those up and go by those dates for a decent guesstimate date.

I did that a lot last year.

I had times like that too. But online at our library, I can print out anything we have checked out and then just print. I can also erase anything that was mine if we only had the one card with us, we have a homeschool card and then my card, but sometimes I only have the one and want a book to read that isn't about homeschooling so I just take those off and print the rest. I think next year I will just do this periodically and end of problem, don't have to write anything down.

I wish we had this feature. Once it is brought back, it is gone. I asked one year, because of a book I wanted to find again and forgot to write it down.

No deal...gone!

Yep, that is what I am going to do. I also have to call a friend and ask about field trips.



That is a neat feature. I wish we had that. I have to print everything out. I do that because I have to keep track of when we return books. They usually do not check one in every few weeks. There was one time I had six books from the library in my home, but they were never checked out. And one time I had one book, but it checked out under a different title.

O.K. here comes the dumb question for the day.

What do you put into a portfolio?

So far we have been very luck to live in two states that have very relaxed homeschooling laws. But I have kept every piece of paper and a few projects that we have produced. With Dh's job we may have to move again and possibly to a state that requires portfolios. Should I be keeping everything? Does it have to be organized in some way? Right now I basically have banker's boxes that I dump the stuff into weekly.

Charlene, that is not a dumb question. There is some information here
Portfolio Sections. If you have any questions, just ask.

Thanks for the link

Read all the posts in the link. It was helpful. Thanks.

I guess I am going to have to get some 3-ring binders. And thank goodness that I used a lot of consumable workbooks the first two years. I didn't date anything. I'll have to seperate the pages into subject then put them in numerical order. Next year I'll have to be a bit more "professional" and date everything since we are moving to a more classical curriculum.

Do you all put a copy of each day's lesson plan with the work? And what do you do for education/teacher notes? Are these like "notes to self" about what needs to be worked on more diligently? Or something else?

Yep, so does mine. I have not been very good about keeping stuff either. Since we do not have to even do anything in this state I have been so lax. I need to get better about it. It would be so nice to look back on and see how well they have done. Good way to keep memories!

We are in a very lax state as well. . .but I am keeping records like the police were coming in tomorrow.

I have attendance sheets from DY (most is from the DY site) curriculum used. . .books we have read (or Mom read to us!)(we have 270 listed as of June of last year!) and I have Lesson Plans. . .(basically saying what we DID do. . .as opposed to what I want us to accomplish!) then I have sectioned off in the back all the Math in one location in (numerical)(date) order. . .then if he draws anything (he is kinda weird he writes dog above his picture or some form of journalizing. . .like if he draws a rabbit he usually spells it out. . .so I put that in one section cause it shows he was spelling the word too) then I have Science (from a workbook from Sam's/Wal-Mart) and any other subjects we have.(last year the whole curriculum was worksheets (lifepacs Alpha Omega) and I got 4 folders. . .Book 1 Math in one Book2 Math in another Book 1 Language Arts in a 3rd and Book 2 Language Arts in a 4th all for K) Then the back section I have for Field Trips. I take Sheet Protectors (I love these things if you don't believe me read Control Journal in Fly Lady section) and I journalize (DY sheet for Homeschool Journal or something) and I put date, where we went, who went with us. . .etc. . .then I take pictures at the time of the Field Trip (not always--but I try) and then I come home and I like Scrapbook and cut and tape pictures on a piece of copy typing paper. .. and then slide it into the Sheet protector and then it is in his notebook what we did. . .where we went. . .who was with us (homeschool group)(our friends) whoever was with us. . .and then we have *evidence* we really did this or that. . .hahahahaaha

Anyway, that is mine. .. what does yours look like. . .so I can steal your ideas. . .

Carmen, I think the attendance sheets should like a great idea. I know we do not need them, but it would definitely help us see how well and how much we have done. Great idea.

Hey, we need to get together sometime. You are really not that far...probably an hour and half or so.

and now with the twins I have been keeping every paper everyday that we do school so they can see improvement on their name writing. Also we are doing a (age appropriate) Bible Correspondence course and after 6 lessons they get a certificate. It is really neat.

I have 3 notebooks for each child. . .but I keep one with me at all times. . .one with everyone's records in it. . .after a month or so. . .I take out of the one notebook and place in their individual ones so I am not going thru 3 notebooks each day just to write down what we did. I have the main notebook with all the forms reading list, attendance sheet, curriculum list, lesson plans. .. in one notebook when it gets full from daily papers I take the daily papers and "file" them in their notebooks for safe keeping. Then once the year is up, I get new (3) notebooks for the next school year. .. and I keep the ONE notebook with my info the same all the time. .that way when I am going thru the house trying to find the one notebook I always know what it looks like

Confused???

At the end of the year. . .ALL the forms go in each child's notebook and start over with fresh forms in the ONE notebook. I just have tabs in my ONE notebook so I can access each child. . .subject. . .lesson plans. . .etc.

I put a sample of work in there. Not all of them. I don't put any education/teacher notes in there either. If I do, they would be at the bottom of the lesson plan page. All I do is write down what they did. I don't even use the attendance sheet, but I am thinking about it for next year.

This is what I do.

Kelley,
Noah loves to look back and do this We have two binders going now, one that has kindergarten and 1st in it and then this years has 2nd. Everything is in page protectors to save it. Every year I get a bit more detailed on what is it in. So it keeps on growing but it looks so nice and when Noah is a father I'm sure he will want these for his children to see. Last year I also started a homeschool scrapbook with just photos of things we did during the year of homeschooling, that is another thing he really loves. *should take pictures and up load them* Ok, I will do this later for you all and come back and post the link here.

I have same problem, but like You I live in Texas also so I do not NEED to keep records, but who knows if we will live here throughout their school experience and need to prove we did something each year.

What I do is I have a small plastic file box and I put their work in it and then once a month or quarter or whatever..(when it is full) I pick what needs to go in a binder and what needs to go in their BOX and what needs thrown away.

We use self inking date stamps for dating our papers. Really helps with the younger ones especially.

I just finished the quarterly reports for our school this weekend. I realized as I was looking for samples that my oldest daughter had been filing papers in the trash can rather than take time to put them in her portfolio ... I was ready to wring her neck ...

This child needs an adjustment ...

That is a great idea!! I used to use one of those when I worked. Office Depot here I come!!



Mine would get an adjustment, if they did that.

I've got to get one of those.

This should probably be another topic (Donna please don't ) when-age/grade should the kids be dating their own work? Since I have only one child I don't even make her put her name on the papers.

As soon as they can write. We had to do that in our first year at school.

My daughter started doing it last year (grade K.) It helped her learn how to spell the months and use the calendar without having me having to sit down and do any formal work on it with her.

I started having them write their names on each page as soon as they could write. You never know when they will be in another class and need to do this. I don't want them to work hard and then not get credit for their work just because they didn't put their name on the page.

Right now I am working on my son to put his whole name on there. He isn't happy.

My older two write the date ... they were trained in school. They are in 5th and 8th ... and they both have always done it. I bought them daters and they said it was more work than necessary ... changing the date etc. My little one struggles with writing and reading ... the date seems like something silly to stress over ... she uses the stamp ... she's in 2nd.

I have printed out some of the pictures I want for the kid's portfolios. So, I am doing pretty good on them. I still have to type up the books that I read to Jo.

I went to Office Depot yesterday and bought a date stamper.

I need to update our portfolios. I keep telling myself I'm going to do this...

Thankfully I was thorough when I set them up at the beginning of the year so now all I need to do is pull stuff from their notebooks & print off our records that I keep on the computer. Whenever I can get around to doing it, that is.

We are starting school tomorrow and I forgot to update the sections in the portfolios . I have already cleaned out the papers from last year, except my daughters' book. Listed below are the sections I will be putting in for this year. Just about the same as last years. The portfolio is a white 3", 3-ring binder. I put a portfolio cover sheet on the front and a spine cover as well. By the end of the year, it will be well packed .

God's Child - describes the child, lists all extra activities such as sports, holds all awards earn during the year.

Records - weekly planner, reading log, field trip log, PE log.

Calendar - child keeps up with his own calendar

Math
English - under English will be:
Spelling
vocabulary
Grammar
Dictation
Latin
Science
History
Geography
Art/Extras

Do you do all of these sections for each grade? your portfolios sounds similar to ours.

I was wondering something about this. Do you put all of the papers your daughter does in the portfolio or just a few from each subject for each week or month or what. I was wondering because we have a binder for some subjects and then I have a file folder to file papers for the rest of them. I figure as long as I date the papers and try to keep them in order I will easily be able to get them together at the end of the year for a portfolio. But then again if take a few as I go along then I would not have to do this at the end of the year.

I do not put all of the papers in the sections. I pick from the beginning, middle and end of year. Just enough to show improvement.

I have one portfolio for each child (4). The kids get to pick the portfolio cover they want for their own books.

They also have a 3-ring binder for a notebook. They keep the things they are currently working on, like assignments that take more than one day, calendars, art projects, etc. Once they are done I can move them on over to the portfolio. By the end of the year the portfolio should be done. Last year, I didn't have the teacher's planner done and that is something that is required by our state. So, I spent a few all nighters writing down what we did all year. I hope I have learned from that mistake .

I noticed in my son's portfolio that the tabs are getting torn. I guess after using them for three years now, that they need to be replaces.

I forgot to mention that I have pocket sleeves (not sure of the name ) to put in odd shaped work or awards. I don't like to punch holes in their awards, so I just use the pocket things.

Oh! Thank you! I have been trying to figure this out for years! I've been so bad about this, and really wanted to have a good portfolio for each child for each year, but haven't done it.

Thank you! I think I can do this now. ONE question ... how do you handle art papers, etc. that might be on bigger paper than 81/2 x 11" paper????

Thanks for explaining how you work it Michelle! I was just going to ask if the child's notebook was the portfolio. I know this sounds like a simple thing but these little details keep snagging me. I need to go buy some 3" binders now I was using the kids notebooks as their portfolios and wondering how I was going to keep everything orderly. Now I know By the way, I did start My contemporaneous schedule with the homeschool planner. I'm such a procrastinator that this really works well for me to have everything done and I just open and record what we are doing. If by some miracle I plan ahead (in pencil) I can write it down in the planner and just check it off or arrow to the day we did it. I'm really excited about this and believe I can stay on top of it and not have to pull a week of all nighters before my next evaluation

It usually goes on the refrigerator and not in the portfolio. If I think it should be in the portfolio I have two options. Just take it with you to the evaluator or punch holes on the short side, fold the long side up and place in the binder. Not much help, huh? I don't like things hanging out of the portfolio , so I make sure the art papers are the right size to begin with. I even place a pencil line down the left side as a margin and forbid the kiddos to cross the line . Bad mama!

How about photos? Kinda hard to stuff a salt-dough map in the binder

Hmmm, never thought of putting a salt dough map in the binder. That would be interesting for the evaluator.

I wonder what kinds of things evaluators get to see, maybe some shed snake skins stuck to nature journals, or dead bugs. That might be an interesting job.

I bet they do see some of those strange things. I'll have to ask our evaluator what is the strangest thing she saw in a portfolio.

I used this as my guide for portfolio tabs

I only added Art, Creative Writing and Literature

Thanks so much Michelle this really helped me feel more pulled together.

I see you already did this in August

Some of us are late bloomers I guess

That doesn't mean there is anything in them yet.

Bumping this up. It is getting time to work on the portfolios. Is everyone ready? I am not doing well with recording what the kids do each day. I'll have to get started on that, so I won't be over loaded at the end of the year. Work has been put in each portfolio through out the year, so that is going well.

One big problem. I forgot to write down what my daughter has read. Thankfully, I have kept copies of our library book list and I can go from there. Gee, what was I thinking?

I see that you are from Fl. Do your children do F-CAT and have an evaluation done or do you do 1 or the other?
Thanks

My oldest is in the 6th grade and he does group testing using the Iowa test. That is only because that is what is offered at this group. If you wish to do the F-CAT, you will need to sign the kids up at your public school. To do that contact your school district.

I also have a K and a 2nd grader. They will be evaluated by the same lady who gives the group test. Group testing is only for 3rd grades and up. They made that decision; it is not a requirement from the state.

Call your local homeschool district person (I don't know where you live), and ask them for a list of people who do evaluations and group testing. FPEA site might offer that information.

I do pretty much what you do. I put my pages in a clear protector, so #1, the pages stay nice, #2, so that they don't rip.

The last couple of years, we started having separate binders for science and history. I really want to keep all of those papers, since we don't work directly out of a workbook. So I give my evaluator, (we call them portfolio leaders), a couple of binders to look at.

I am a portfolio leader in my state this year, so I will let you know if I see anything interesting! Hopefully no insects or snacks!

We work out of a combination of binders and spiral notebooks.

My portfolio sections consists of:

Overview
Records
Correspondence
Ideas
Subjects
(Within subjects are subsections for whatever that particular child is working on. The beginning of the year was the summarized lesson plans, the tests, handouts, etc. that I would be using. As time goes on, I will pull work from their other binders and put here. Also, my notes for the year will go here, as well as a list of all their supplementary books they've used per subject.)

We have a few unit studies that are separate This year we have a book on Colonial Life and a LapBook on Pirates. Both will go along with the portfolio to the evaluator.

I would like to know what you find in other portfolios.

In DE you have the option of belonging to an umbrella group, which assigns portfolio leaders ... which as I said before, I am one. We are all mom's, who help each other out. In DE the rules are so lax, that you don't really need to show your work to anyone. You just need to turn in your days you taught and your child's grade. Sooo, sooo easy...almost insane...really!

Thanks Michelle. You're a big help.

I am so glad you bumped this up. I knew it was getting that time of year and I kept putting it off and putting it off and then I stopped thinking about it period I have to get mine started. Ours are completely empty I do have all of their school paper in a pile on my desk though. What a job it is going to be to go through them all.

Thanks, I am going to put this in my planner binder. I do not need one for kindergarten, but I am going to do one for my son. This will give me a place to start.