As we began her kindergarten year, though, I wanted to make sure that I was keeping up with all information required by the state. We're in Kentucky; if you're here, too, the state's Department of Education homeschool information packet is published here.
At the end of our academic year, I laid out everything I had been saving in a plastic tub since last August. This included math and science workbooks, art projects, assignments brought home from co-op, performance and recital programs, award certificates, weekly and monthly calendars I had created throughout the year, and photos. I went through piece by piece and decided what was pertinent to keep and what was being recycled.
This is what I saved. I probably recycled two to three times this amount.

All weekly and monthly calendars made the cut. They serve as a record of attendance, and outline our daily lessons and activities in detail.

I selected several pages from Pip's math workbook and one full unit from her science workbook that are good examples of her work. I chose about five writing samples, and a pretty big pile of artwork. (I do love kids' artwork, and especially my child's!)

I kept all Pip's award certificates, performance programs, and any documentation of participation in special events. I also went through the digital photos I had been taking all year and created a collage for each month. (I waited until I had a credit from Shutterfly and then ordered them all at once--I love their customer appreciation perks!)

Although I was feeling pretty good about this collection of information, I consulted the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website for their recommendations about what records to keep for younger students. To complete my summary of the year, I created a document that included the following suggested items:
- materials and memberships used
- extra-curricular activities
- limited participation activities
- projects, awards, and achievements
- life skills acquired
- field trips taken
- volunteer experiences
Some of these items may not apply to all students at such a young age, but I intend to use this year's record as a template for the coming years and I thought it better to include them than not.
Following the HSLDA recommendation I also included a copy of Pip's birth certificate and immunization records.
When everything was compiled, it fit neatly into a single manila folder. I might put it into a cute binder at some point in the future, just for fun, but for now, it's a tidy complete record and readily available if I need it.
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