Set aside a day or more to do the necessary task of gathering, filing, and recording the year's schoolwork.  The rewards are:

 •   You can find your records easily.

 •  Your children have meaningful memorabilia.

 •  You get more space for more books and materials.

 •  You might even be able to sell books you don't need anymore for cash to (you guessed it) buy more books!

Gather up all your schoolwork for the year, then sort and dispose of everything appropriately.  Following are some suggestions.

 •  Select samples of work for each child in each area of their studies to put in their permanent files.

 •  Send some samples to grandparents (with the clear understanding that they are free to toss them after enjoying them for a while).

 •  Give each child a certain amount of space in which to keep what he wants.

 •  Throw out the rest.

 •  Store some books for younger siblings.

 •  Shelve some books for reference.

 •  Give some books away (to a family who needs them, your support group's library, or a thrift store).

 •  Trade some books with another family.

 •  Sell some books at a local used curriculum sale or online with amazon.com.

You might need to keep a record or a portfolio of your children's studies to comply with your state's laws or an umbrella organization, as well as for your own benefit.

Choose any, or all, of the following options.  Depending on their ages, your children may be able to help you with some of the work.

 •  Record the date and student's name after he finishes each concept on your scope and sequence chart or list of educational goals.
     For reference, see the scope and sequence charts provided online by A Beka Books, Bob Jones University Press, World Book, or your state's testing preview site to view what material is suggested to be known by each grade level.

 •  Use lesson plans as records, checking off and dating each assignment or objective as it is done.
     See lesson plan books at Birch Court Books.

 •  Keep track of the hours spent on each subject if you are required to do so by your state law, or wish to for your own information (e.g., for a high-school transcript).
     Homeschool Transcripts carries many resources to help you produce professional high-school transcripts.

 •  Make Copies of records of family projects, unit studies, field trips, etc. for each child's individual file as applicable.

 •  Keep a journal for each day of a unit study, briefly listing books read or activities done.

 •  List all books read by the family or individual students, including the title, author, and publisher.  (A brief description of contents and your personal evaluation will make this list more valuable to you and your children in the future.)
     Print online form for book list and various forms for book recommendations, reports, and a record of reading different genre.

 •  Place artwork and writing assignments in a notebook or file.

 •  Take photos of art, craft, and science projects and activities such as plays, costumes, and field trips.  You can use a computer scanner or digital camera to create a CD containing these photos as well as pages of school work, compositions, etc.

 •  Store your records in a labeled box for the year or for each child.

Create a yearbook by placing photos, sample work, and other memorabilia in a scrapbook.

 •  See ideas for a homeschool yearbook and links to more ideas and samples.

 •  Slides or digital photos can be composed into a digital photo album or put onto a CD and copied for each of your children and other relatives.  See Creative Memories' digital scrapbooking.

Tape record some of your family's answers to the evaluation questions below (especially the positive ones!) as a sound recording of your school year.

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Use this checklist, or make your own, to see what went right and what went wrong this year so that you can adjust for next year.

This needs to be done now, while things are fresh in your mind!

You might want to discuss these items as a family and/or do a private interview with each member to get a complete picture.

Be sure to include your husband and each child for their individual perspectives.  You will need to adapt the questions for each one (e.g., Dad: Do you know what our children learned this year? What would you have liked them to learn that they did not learn?).

Please do not let this evaluation discourage you! Rejoice and thank the Lord for what went well, and learn from weak areas so that you do even better next year.

Use your evaluation outcomes to make general, broad plans for next year and for your summer studies.  You can do specific and detailed planning later; this is just to be sure you include the valuable input from this year's evaluation.

Make quick notes beside certain answers on your evaluation forms.  Then set dates for your comprehensive planning for next year, allowing time to purchase and become familiar with any new curriculum.

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A celebration gives a nice closure to this section of your studies and ends the school year on a positive note which will help propel you forward into your next scheduled studies or activities.

As a family, thank the Lord for your family, for the opportunity and freedom to home school, and for the guidance, wisdom, and strength He provided this year.

 •  Invite neighbors, friends, or relatives to an open house.  This can be combined with another family if desired.

- Show displays of schoolwork, projects, and art.

- Give oral, musical, or dramatic presentations.

- Serve refreshments.

 •  Have a party, dinner, or picnic with another home-school family or families.

 •  Take an educational field trip, or an outing just for fun, with your family or others.

Reach out to another family that is home schooling or is considering home schooling.

 •  Point them to the Lord to find the guidance, wisdom, and strength that they need.

 •  Offer moral support and practical help.