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EPHESIANS 3:20-21
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Homeschool Tracker Software-Basic Edition

11/14/2016

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I decided to try something different this year to help keep track of the kids daily assignments.  I noticed it on another blog so I figured I'd give it a try. It is called HOMESCHOOL TRACKER.

To be honest, it looked a tad overwhelming at first, but once I took the time to play around with it and figure out how it worked, it has made my life so much easier!  

I feel more organized and more on top of the kids' assignments.  The kids enjoy having a list to go through each day with their assignments and they can keep track of how well they are doing.



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Here is an example of my daughter's assignments that I entered in for a day.  Once you click "add new", you can modify the subject, description, items needed, date and student's name.  

For multiple, repetitive assignments, you can copy them and have them entered repeatedly each day for all the students.  I'm pretty repetitious with some subjects such as:
  • Devotional (we use Keys for Kids)
  • Daily 30-minute chapter book reading
  • Journal Entry
  • Folder Work​

 
There are some assignments we keep repeating over and over on our daily list just so the kids can see it and mark them off on the printable reports I give them each week.  
                                  
Scroll down to see the actual report being used by my daughter
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Here is the page showing my daughter's Grammar lesson's for the week.  (We have our homeschool co-op on Fridays so we do our other subjects over 4 days at home.)

You can view them by student, by date, or by subject just to make sure I have it all entered in correctly.


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There are so many options you could use this program for.  I am just doing the basic now and I'm always learning more as I go.  Above is the page you go to once you click on REPORTS.

I set the dates I want printed out and check the student I'm printing for then I can either preview it to make sure it is all correct or print it directly from this page.  
                                                                   
                                                       It's been pretty handy!

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Above is a picture of my daugher's weekly assignments.  Homeschool Tracker has a printable Reports option. I print these out each week for each kiddo. Each day, as they finish an assignment, they cross it out with a highlighter.  

Below is a picture of my daughter marking off an assignment that she has completed from the Weekly Reports of the program.  The other one is a closer look at her assignments for the day.



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This program has been super helpful for our homeschooling adventure this year.  I've actually enjoyed using it and I feel so much more on top of the kids' assignments.  

Yes, it is a bit time consuming.  
Yes, I need to stay a step ahead of my kids to make it work.  
No, I do not know all the features of this program yet.  

There is a ton more it can do that I am still working to figure out; but, it has lots of options that can only improve my record keeping and organization as I homeschool multiple grades and learning levels. 

So overall, I'd say that for a FREE Homeschooling planning program...this is fantastic.  Maybe I'll upgrade to the next level someday but for now, living on a budget, this one does the trick.

Check out the link to see what else this program can do or to get the more advanced version.    


​Download HOMESCHOOL TRACKER today and give it a try!

Happy Homeschooling!!!
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Homeschool Beginnings...how it all began!

10/5/2015

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Homeschooling was not something we really thought much about once we got married. I went to school to be a teacher and our first year of marriage I was in my senior year of college for an education degree.  I was student teaching in 2 different public schools and realized that I wanted to know and decide what exactly my kids were being taught if I was ever blessed to have kids someday. I even witnessed some sweet kids who struggled in the school system due to not being able to get the material instructed to them in a way that made sense.  I worked with the learning support in my first cycle and was able to structure material with activities that would help some of the kids “get it”.  It was so enriching and precious to see the kids have that “aha” moment from a teacher who took the time to understand them and give them the one-on-one they needed.  I loved it! 

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My first teaching job was at a private Christian school that I had helped tutor and teach a few elective classes in the past. I was so grateful to the Lord for opening up the position I was offered.  It was 3rd grade!  Perfect! I LOVED this age and was excited to get started!  I taught 15 bright and beautiful students that year. It was challenging as I was pregnant with Hannah that year but it was so rewarding!
After that, we felt led to have me stay home with our kiddos.  The Lord filled me with the joy and passion to be the fulltime caregiver for our kids.  We knew and had faith that we would be blessed through this sacrifice.  We didn’t think too much about homeschooling at that point since our kids were so small but once we hit preschool years, we did send Hannah to a local Christian School preschool.  It was a definite trial year both financially and emotionally…I wanted my kids home.  I wanted to be the one who filled their minds with the wisdom and content they needed and not place that into someone else’s hands.  I felt called by the Lord to raise my children according to HIS Word. 

Another reason was due to the rapid decline the world was going.  The common core change, the indoctrination that is clearly in our public school system and the constant pressure of having classes full of varying influences that we are trying so hard to have our kids avoid, were all factors in our decision.  We want to surround our kids with godly environments as much as possible.  There are so many great curriculums out there to pick from.  The great enriching activities we could do as a family to bring us closer together while educating and the freedom and flexibility to structure our school day to best suit our lives was so appealing (so was being able to stay in pajamas all day cuddled up on the couch reading to the kids too, right? Do I hear an AMEN!).
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It has not always been easy…sometimes I spend the day huddled in the corner with my blankie! HA! But the reward is amazing! We know that the Lord called us to this lifestyle and we also have a desire for our kids to love the LORD and have a relationship with Him.   Why did you decide to homeschool?  There are many reasons a family makes this decision.  Homeschoolers can encourage each other and be such a rich and rewarding community!  I pray the content on this page can help encourage anyone struggling with the idea to take the leap and bring the kids home or start homeschooling for the first time.  I’ll be posting some steps to help first-time homeschoolers soon so keep watch!  Many Blessings to you all! 
For more information on state homeschool laws and how to begin homeschooling, see my Welcome post!
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Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.


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