Blog Hop Wrap-up Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning: How do you keep records of what you have learned?

Welcome to our Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning Blog Hop Series. This week we've been writing all about how we make learning "whole"-istic and joyful in our home.

Today we're wraping up with how to keep records of your Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning. 

Every state has different requirements for what to turn in at the end of a traditional school year. Our state requires 900 hours of school time and that we must cover these subjects: language, reading, spelling, writing, geography, history of the United States and the state, national, state, and local government, mathematics, science, health, physical education, fine arts, music, first aid, safety, and fire prevention. At the end of the year, either a narrative by a licensed teacher of a portfolio of work completed by the student has to be submitted or the student is required to take a standarized test.

We always opt for the narrative. So the question remains, if you have to have "proof" of your schooling and hours...How do you record your Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning moments?

Although there is no where that we actually have to document the number of hours that we spent homeschooling at the end of a year, we do have to report that we will devote 900 hours to schooling. Since I have said that we will school for 900 hours a year, we do and I document it. This is really rather easy. At the end of the day (or sometimes several days), I write down the number of hours we spent in schooling that day. I count every time we do anything that is relevant to the subjects required. 

I start through the summer: singing at church, craft/art activities, walking the dog, going to summer concerts, visiting museums, bedtime reading, really everything fits. Then I continue counting the hours through the fall and winter. Generally by spring, we have all 900 hours. I stop counting. We don't stop learning mind you, but we've meet our hours. I see no reason to count up to 1200 hundred or more.

So if you are gathering your child's portfolio and need someone to look it over to fill out your narrative, what do you do when there aren't worksheets to document everything you've done? Well that is fairly easy too. Take lots of pictures. In a child's portfolio, include pictures with a handwritten list beside it of what they learned while on that particular adventure. This can be a fun scrapbooking type of project for the entire family and another Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning moment.

So say I'm making a scrapbook page from the activities that we completed from our Summer Bucket List 2013: Week 9, I would include the pictures and then next to them I would include these notes.

Making a Bird House

reading: reading and following directions

geography: birds of our region and their habitats

mathematics: measurement of boards

science: bird habitat

fine arts: wood work and painting

safety: using safety precautions while working with tools

Ice Cream Sandwiches

reading: reading and following recipe

mathematics: measuring accurate amounts

science: chemical reactions in baking and freezing

health: nutrition basics understanding a treat versus healthy meals

fine arts: culinary arts

safety and fire prevention: using oven and sharp kitchen tools

Suncatchers

fine arts: paper project

safety: using precautions while utilizing scissors and pins

Butterflies

science: using recycled materials to upcycle into an art project

fine arts: recycled paper project 

safety: using precautions while utilizing scissors

Playhouse

mathematics: measurement of curtains/material and boards

health: play house cleaning to make a healthy environment

physical education: the work of hauling boards and materials into playhouse

fine arts: sewing curtains, painting decorations

safety: using safety precautions while working with tools and sewing machine

While those particular activities, on that particular week, did not encompass all of the required subjects we did a great deal. 

You could organize by types of activities (several pictures of cooking activities) or by a particular subject (physical education activities) or anyway that seems to make things fit for you.

See all of the Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning Blog Hop Series here:

Monday...What is Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning?

Tuesday...How to plan for Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning

Wednesday...Suggestions from our series of Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning posts.

Thursday...An example of a recent Joyful "Whole"-istic Learning moment from our Joyful Moment Link.

Friday...Wrap-up: How do you keep records of what you have learned?

There were 90 bloggers from the Homeschool Review Crew that participated in this blog hop. Check out what they wrote about here:

Wishing you homeschool blessings,