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You are here: Home / Homeschool / Homeschool Planning / Homeschool Portfolio in a Binder

Homeschool Portfolio in a Binder

March 3, 2009 By Angie Kauffman · PRINTABLES TIP: Always go toward the end of a post to find the printable. · Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. {I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.}

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This week on Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family, the theme is “Greatest Hits.” We decided that as our contribution to the fun, we wanted to republish this fabulous article by Tiffani (from August 2008) about making a Homeschool Yearbook/Portfolio. Even if you are not a homeschooler, this would be a great way to chronicle a year of your child’s school work!

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Wouldn’t it be nice to have a folder/scrapbook/keepsake album all rolled into one? Well, I was determined to figure out how to accomplish such a feat!

I was very puzzled when I first began homeschooling about how to keep everything together for that year…I mean if I kept EVERYTHING, I’d need a 45 gallon bucket! However, with awards, paraphernalia from field trips, pictures, and of course, the work, something had to be done.

So, instead of having several places for each of those items, I brainstormed a while and decided to create a “yearbook” for each child. It has been a hundred times easier than trying to sort this to one place and that to another.

Here’s what I do:

I buy a 3-ring binder (size would be up to you, but I use at least 1 ½” thick) with a clear overlay. I then “scrapbook” a little cover page stating what school year it is to put inside the overlay.

I also buy a box of clear sleeves in bulk (available at any office store). I think they’re around $10 for 100.

I take a picture of my kids on the first day of school and that goes on the inside front cover with the date we started.

The first page of the yearbook is an “All About Me” fill in the blank type of activity…again, it’s great to see that their favorite color last year, may not be the same for this year, or maybe their favorite TV shows, food, etc. has changed, too!

From that point, I put all of the kids work in a tray daily. Then, sometime over the next few weeks (you could do this part daily, weekly, bi-weekly—whatever is easiest for you), I decide what I want to keep –usually on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I put the pages that I keep inside the clear sleeves and in the yearbook. I do not put one page per sleeve (your binder would get very full very quickly), I actually put several in one sleeve—leaving my favorites visible through the front and back of the sleeves.

If one of my kids receives an award or certificate, it goes in the yearbook (in a sleeve all by itself). The ribbons from field day and the science fair go in as well.

Any pictures from special projects, special days and field trips, I print out and put at the top of a page. I have Connor write his favorite part of the experience and add it to the yearbook. This year, I will add a section in the back for friends pictures. We have these peppered throughout with our playdate/field trip pics currently, but I think it’ll be great to have a picture of their closest friends and a list of the reasons why they enjoy being their friend.

It’s great having work, awards, memories, etc. all together! The best part about this project is that it is SUPER easy to keep up current on, as well as to keep it organized. It naturally goes in chronological order, and it is a really fun way for the kids to see how far they’ve come. When I pull out Connor’s yearbook from K4, he can’t believe how much his handwriting has changed and how much “smarter” he is now that he’s in 2nd grade!

The yearbooks are all on a shelf together. With matching labels on the spines of each notebook, they look nice all lined up together. My kids like pulling them out when relatives visit to show them what all we’ve been up to throughout the school year.

I’m sure with all of the creative writers/readers of this blog, there will be even more fabulous ideas to add to this project to make it your own.

Please share any ideas that you have! We’d love to hear them!

Happy memory making!

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Tiffani can also be found writing at Bears and Belles

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Filed Under: Homeschool Planning Tagged With: portfolio

About Angie Kauffman

Angie, mom to three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  With degrees in elementary education (B.A.) and special education (M.S.Ed.), as well as being a former homeschooler, she is passionate about supporting both parents and teachers by providing printables, crafts, and activities to help children learn and grow.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth says

    March 3, 2009 at 10:58 pm

    This is a great idea. This is my first year homeschooling and we don’t even do a lot of “paper” projects, but somehow they do add up, don’t they!?
    Beth
    applesandjammies.blogspot.com

    Reply
  2. ~*Michelle*~ says

    March 4, 2009 at 3:49 am

    I just love this idea of the binder and having a memory year book. I was just thinking about how we could store/save her best work.

    Thanks so much!
    *~Michelle~*

    Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    March 4, 2009 at 4:03 am

    This is a great extension of something I do. I digital scrapbook, so I create all my pages as 8.5 x 11 so that I can print them off and put them in binders like this. I try to make a page for any field trips we take, one with their school picture (usually taken at Wal-Mart when they have the special), etc. I put all those together to make a kind of yearbook for them. I haven’t added any papers, though. That’s a nice idea and would be fun to look back on years later.

    Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    March 4, 2009 at 5:09 am

    Thank you for your fabulous idea! I’ve been trying to work on solutions for my son’s papers, and love to see how others do it.

    Reply
  5. Roan says

    March 4, 2009 at 5:23 am

    I LOVE this idea! I love 3 ring binders, page protectors, and cute covers. What a combo! I plan to do this (begining next year).
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Kris says

    March 4, 2009 at 6:14 am

    I still love this idea. The binders look so nice. Now, to actually get myself in gear and *do* it.

    Reply
  7. thegecko says

    March 4, 2009 at 7:27 am

    i love this, i started a binder for my son, but its one big one designed to be his “big boy baby book” with just the highlight of the year work report cards and the pictures.

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    March 4, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Great idea! I have a stack of stuff I need to put in a binder.

    Reply
  9. Stephanie says

    March 4, 2009 at 2:40 pm

    Where did you get your “all about me” worksheet. I would love a copy if you have it, [email protected]
    Great idea!!

    Reply
  10. the 6 o'clock stitch says

    March 5, 2009 at 4:18 am

    You should submit this tutorial in the Mr. Linky for "Make & Tell Monday"! Feel free to jump in every week! I love it!

    http://the6oclockstitch.blogspot.com/2009/03/make-tell.html

    Reply

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Meet Angie

Angie, mom to three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  With degrees in elementary education (B.A.) and special education (M.S.Ed.), as well as being a former homeschooler, she is passionate about supporting both parents and teachers by providing printables, crafts, and activities to help children learn and grow. Read More…

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