Missouri's New Laws Call for Portfiolio Maintance

One of the joy's of home educating my children is making sure I stay up to date and in the "know" of the homeschooling rules and regulations. Missouri is a great state for the most part to home school in and we have simply the best advocates for us up on the hill.

With that being said, there are a few new rules that were added this year. I have had the joy and experience of knowing other home educating mommies in other states. The idea of a portfolio is not at all new to me. I just haven't participated in this very stressful affair before!

So welcome to a few posts from me that will focus on WHAT IS SUPPOSED to be in these things? Honestly, I have no clue since there is no precedent this year that I know of. I am just gathering things and adding them like a mad woman to be sure I am covering the basis!

Please keep in mind that I have already doubled the amount of things in these. You might be amazed at the number of worksheets, projects, unit studies and lap books you acquire in a semester!

Side note on lapbooks here... I love them and we do a ton of them (in my humble opinion). The problem with lapbooks and adding them to my growing collection is they are SIMPLY TOO BIG!
I came across a fantastic sale on lap books at the thrift store! A corporation had donated several boxes of super sized folders still in the box. The file folders themselves are 18" x 13.5" closed. When opened they are 27"x24". You can add a ton of things inside one of these awesome do-dads. I may have to rethink my sizes once I run out.

I did manage with the help of my fantastic online homeschooler board, a way to make their presence known. In the front, behind the lovely typed information I find necessary to include I will attach the completed list of topics covered and pictures of them!

I also plan to print off the thousand and one trips we take to the museums, Department of Conservation outings, historical landmarks and various places of interest.

Now, why do you need to know all of this? You might not, but someone surfing for the answers to this issue may!

Abigails Beautiful Binder (I refuse to work with boring)

 The assessment test I gave her during the last part of summer.

 

                                                                  Science projects

 

 

I did add several more pages of worksheets on each of these so they could see where the information was coming from and that she did "seated" work also.

Unit study in fire prevention. I plan to print off pictures of her at the fire station also.

I added about 50 sheets of math exercises. I will also print off the pictures I have taken of our hands on math fun.

Making sure to show her work.

Skip counting is a pre multiplication program a friend of mine created.

A couple of unit Studies for History and Geography. I plan to add her "extra" pictures of her crafts and native replicas she has created.

More unit studies about the first pilgrims. I do plan to include reference to the living books we read, wrote by the early settlers. We found their life in Holland absolutely fascinating and  I think all teachers should share this information!

This is one of the few animal fact mini books that we actually could fit in the portfolio.

Manuscript samples from both quarters and I will add more this semester.

Cursive sample

More cursive

I got these out of order a bit, but this was 1st qtr.

I have been digging through folders this week. I will honestly say it is not easy picking and choosing which items you want to include.

No doubt, I will change this a million times before the end of the year.