5 Days of Record Keeping for the Busy Homeschool Mom -Day 1
For the first day of my 5 part blog series or Record Keeping for the Busy Homeschool Mom, we need to talk about rules and laws.
You need to research and become familiar with what is and is not required by your state or county. And remember, this is subject to change. And it probably will change.
For the state of Missouri(where I live) the rules/regulations are lax compared to some other states and stringent compared to others. It’s a state by state governed entity.
Two of my favorite sites for making sure I’m obeying my laws are the HSLDA, for the state of Missouri. I think they actually have this for all the states as well. It spells out what your state laws and requirements are in simple terms so everyone can understand and implement them. It’s probably a very good idea for families that are homeschooling in this day and age to be members of the HSLDA as well.
The second site that I use is the actual Missouri government page for homeschoolers. It has a frequently asked questions section which is a great place for beginners to go and just read.
For the state of MO I am going to be revamping my records for next year. This year I’m just keeping some plain Jane records that meet my requirements. But I want to do more to make sure I’m covering all my bases for next year!
Some things to remember. You do not have to start keeping records until your child is 7 years old. They can be in school for a few years before you have to keep records. And for me. . . if I don’t have to, I’m not going to.
You do need to have at least 1000 hours. And 600 of those hours have to be classroom hours in the foundation subjects. The foundation subjects are math, history, science, language arts, and reading. When you count up your hours, make sure to count also any home school groups/play groups/field trips that you do. Also remember your electives! Each of my kiddos has a day where they are my kitchen helper. Chalk up a home economics credit for that day!
Anyway. Today I jut wanted to touch on what you need to know to begin with. You need to make sure you know your rules and regulations for your state. It is very important to make sure you ave done that bit of research to keep yourself out of trouble.
Want to see other 5 day series? Check out the bloggers below:
Dawn @ Guiding Light Homeschool ~ Homeschooling with Excessive Energy
Lexi @ Lextin Academy ~ The Homeschool Dad, CEO
Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles ~ Organizing Your Home and School
Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm ~ Homeschooling Thankfulness
Melissa @ Mom’s Plans ~ Historical Field Trips
Karen @ Tots and Me ~ Making Geography Fun
Adena @ AdenaF ~ Mnemonics
Amy @ Homeschool Encouragement ~ Lego Learning
Erin @ For Him and My Family ~ Record Keeping
Lexi
I’m thankful that in my state (Texas) we aren’t required to keep specific records. However, I do keep my own records to be safe and to document what we learn.
Erin S.
I would love my records to be less, but am thankful they aren’t more than they are.
Lynn
HSLDA is a true blessing to all homeschoolers and I feel it’s the best investment you can add to your homeschool as well. When it comes to record keeping and keeping up with the regulations of homeschooling by the laws of your state, you should ONLY keep what is asked of you and only indulge ONLY what is asked of you. The more you volunteer, the tighter the restrictions will get in the future stating. “You volunteered so you must be on board with it” Great post!
Erin S.
Thanks! I am hoping to help myself be a better record keeper in the coming year. We are so glad for our HSLDA membership.
Angie B.
wow, i don’t homeschool but I respect those that do. I never realized how much you had to do to homeschool
Erin S.
It is a lot of work and definitely not for someone who doesn’t want to commit.