Create and keep records.

Step 9 of the Ten Steps to Successful Homeschooling
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10

Create records in order to comply with legal requirements (see Step 1: Know the Law) and also to make transcripts and resumes easier to compile when they are needed.

There is a new address for sending in paperwork. See a Recently Asked Question, Can you tell me where to file my IHIP etc. for the current school year? See also When must I file my quarterly reports?

Here are some hints, tips, and templates for scheduling your home-schooling time and keeping records.

IHIP - Individualized Home Instruction Plan * Standard-Style School Day * Thematic Teaching-Style School Day * Homeschool-Style teaching schedule * Scheduling Templates

IHIP - Individualized Home Instruction Plan

This format can be used for both IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan) and quarterly reports. I keep it on my computer, and simply write over the previous entry under each subject every time I need to make a new report, and that saves me loads of time. I save a copy of everything I submit, putting the new date in the saved file name, so if my paperwork is lost or misplaced it's easy for me to send it again.

My first IHIP took me more than a day to write and ended up being fourteen pages long! Now that I know what's really necessary, I spend about an hour writing an IHIP or quarterly report, and it takes up about two pages.

The following is an IHIP outline for grades K-8 (subject requirements and hours required change for grades 9-12). The same outline can be used for a quarterly report. The first subject, math, has been filled in with a sample of a first grade math curriculum. Although this is written like a list, I usually prefer to write a short paragraqph under each heading. Feel free to modify this format and create your own IHIP form, but don't forget those required minor additions at the end like "arson prevention."

Remember that the P in IHIP stands for Plan. Here is where you write down your plan for the year. During the course of the year, you can change the content, the texts, the manner in which the child learns, and still fulfill your IHIP if the required subjects and the number of hours are covered.

See our page on Grade Levels, Standards and Benchmarks and do note that homeschoolers do not have to follow the bd. of ed. guidelines, and do not have to write IHIPs or assessments that are at "grade level."

Here is a template in Word format that you can download to fill out and use for your IHIP or Quarterly Report. The template follows the format below.

Standard-Style School Day:

Thematic Teaching-Style School Day:

The thematic method gives math and science their own day, and humanities (social studies, history, language arts) their day, so that the same theme can run throughout the day. A child can read an historical novel in the morning and examine the documents and study the facts that afternoon. A child can learn the math in the morning necessary to accurately record that afternoon's science experiment. Music is the logical art to add to a science/math day, while visual art might enhance a day of reading and writing and history. The field trip will likely encompass all subjects, including phys. ed., and should be related to the topics of study.

Homeschool-Style teaching schedule:

Half or more of the learning is applied and experienced, done outside the home and outside the classroom.

An unschooler's schedule might be created as the day happens, with no plans other than the child's project-in-progress. After the project is completed the parent can document the subjects covered. For example, going birdwatching and building a birdhouse would include: science, physical education, arts & crafts, math (measuring etc.), reading (about birds), . . . you get the idea.

Scheduling Templates

• Word format
• PDF format

This is Step 9 of the Ten Steps to Successful Homeschooling
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10