4 Reasons Why Keeping Homeschool Records is a MUST

April 15th. Most Americans know exactly what this date means. It's tax day here in the US and residents from all around the country wait until the last minute to file their taxes. If you run your own business, you probably feel even more stress around this date, as pulling together all your records from the previous year can be quite the chore. But, for folks that used a robust record-keeping system throughout the year, tax day is a breeze.Homeschooling is no different. Doing a little bit of record-keeping along the way, can save countless hours of stress and anxiety when time is tight.There are many different reasons why you should keep accurate records in your Homeschool:

1. State Regulations - If you live in a high-regulation state, record-keeping is not optional, it's mandatory. Some states require regular reporting of hours spent homeschooling, subjects studied, and attendance logs. Having a system like Homeschool Tracker that can generate these regular reports with ease can save you major headaches down the road.
2. Accountability - Holding your students accountable for their work is important. Having a record of which assignments or lessons were completed, as well as those that are still outstanding gives your students a sense of accomplishment as well as motivation to keep working. It can also help you stay accountable by reminding you which lessons to teach and which assignments you need to grade.
3. Tracking Progress - It can often be difficult to see the big picture when we are in our daily homeschool routine. Recording grades or time spent can be a great way to track your progress throughout the year. And having a regular view on where you are progressing in your lesson plans, how your student's grades are looking, or how many days you have left before the end of the school year can be extremely valuable.
4. Transcripts and Report Cards - If you have students in High School, keeping accurate records is even more important. Colleges and other post-high school institutions generally require a transcript to even consider your student for admission. Having a system to track and record your records will give you the data to create a transcript with confidence. If you're using Homeschool Tracker to keep your records, then generating a transcript or report card is a breeze. Be sure to check out our blog post on "5 Tips for Creating a Great Homeschool Transcript" for some helpful advice as well as a free transcript template.

Do you feel confident that you have a solid record-keeping system in place? If not, be sure to give Homeschool Tracker a try as we have helped over 150,000 homeschooling families keep accurate records since 2002.