In many states, assessments are required. Where I live they aren't. But, I have put together a notebook of our homeschooling records so that I can show my husband what our children are learning and I also take it to my year-end review.
In my notebook, I have tabs for each child and each grade.
In the front of the notebook, I put a printout of my attendance and our field trip list from the Homeschool Tracker program. http://www.homeschooltracker.com/tracker_basic.aspx I use the basic (and free) edition, but there is a plus edition that I might purchase for middle/high school. We'll see.
Next, I've put in a list of our curriculum that we use for each grade. I also keep a reading list of the favorite books I find for each grade so that I won't forget them when the next child goes through that grade. I've also started a curriculum plan with each subject for grades PK-8 and I fill in what ideas I get from other people so that I'll have a vision of where I'm heading and so I won't forget where to start looking when I get to that subject and grade. Because I use a lot of used curriculum, I do buy a grade or two ahead in case I won't be able to find it when I get to that grade. I don't invest a lot in it though in case it doesn't end up working out when we get there.
I use the World Book Scope and Sequence for a preschool checklist. I print
Here's the World Book Scope and Sequence:
http://www.worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study?wbredirect=1&Itemid=216
Under my PK tab, I put the section from the World Book Scope and Sequence for
Preschool.
Twice a year, I go through the list and put a date by the skills my child has learned. By
the end of preschool, they should be able to do all of the things on the list and be ready
for kindergarten. The list has helped me remember some things that I need to teach them that
I've forgotten.
I also use these assessments:
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/PreKKAssess.html
I also use this report card for PK and Kindergarten:
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/pdf%20documents/PreKRCard.pdf
Under my Kindergarten tab, I place the section from the World Book Scope and Sequence
first just for reference.
I use the same report card as for PK and I do the assessments again from preschool. The
assessment where Autumn wrote the whole alphabet (this year written in lower case and
capital letters) gives a good comparison of how her writing improved.
I also add A Dolch Sight Vocabulary List. Here are the lists I've printed out:
http://www.mrsperkins.com/files/dolchpre.pdf
http://www.mrsperkins.com/files/dolchpri.pdf
http://www.mrsperkins.com/files/dolch1st.pdf
http://www.mrsperkins.com/files/dolch2nd.pdf
http://www.mrsperkins.com/files/dolch3rd.pdf
In First grade, I begin using a new report card. I found a book by Christian Liberty Press for $.25 that had an Elementary Academic Record in it. It looks similar to this: http://www.bjupress.com/product/032243
If I hadn't found the book, I don't think I'd pay $6.50 for it. I would make my own with a
list of the subjects for each grade withe place for semester grades and a final grade. I use E for Excellent, S for Satisfactory, N for Needs Improvement and U for unsatisfactory. I will likely switch to letter grades in a few years.
I also assess with the Dolch lists until my child can read all the lists. I assess every 6 months with them to see how their sight word vocabulary is increasing.
Second grade has been simpler.
I put in the Scope and Sequence for the grade.
Then, I use the Elementary Academic Record which I began in first grade.
I also introduced one last Character Report from this website: http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/report-and-evaluation-pages/
When I was a teacher, I did use a method of assessing children's vocabulary, reading, and
comprehension levels called the QRI II. I have been using this method with Autumn and it
has been helpful for me to see where her strengths and weaknesses are.
For third through fifth grade, I plan on using the same assessments, but I want to introduce to
Autumn next fall the idea ofher keeping track of her own planner and setting goals for
the year.
These assessments probably sound like a lot of work. It was a lot of work to find what I
wanted, but once I'd printed them out, it's been quite easy to keep them up. We take part of one morning and do the assessments instead of some of our classwork that day. It's fun
for them and me to see how they're doing. Instead of assessing to see what they are not
learning, the assessments I use are to help us see what they are learning!
There are a few other websites I've used when I've been looking for ideas about what
assessments to use:
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/gettingorganized/allplanners.php
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html http://members.tripod.com/chase_sc/forms.html#4