Do you keep a scrapbook of your projects?

[MommyInTraining]

We have been doing LHTH and I am wondering if anyone keeps a record, like a scrapbook, of the projects that are done. I haven't and am wondering if I should.

I would really just like to hear how other people go about keeping a momento to remember the school year by. Do you keep every art project (or a picture of it) to record for your child what they did?

[Kathleen]

Hi Terri!

I have not been good at this... My kids have almost no record of last year...up until we started the week-in-review posts and I was motivated to take pictures. This year I am going to do better. There was a recent post about this here.viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1665 I think i'm going to save out LHTH work in a binder to show off for a while...but then have it "disappear". (I can't stand clutter or too much stuff laying around or being stored. ) I'm going to take pics, too, and try making one of those nifty photo books. There was a link to a site to do that that was cheaper than any I've come across. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1643&p=12775&hilit=blurb#p12775

Hopefully that helps you some!
Kathleen

[my3sons]

Hi Terri! The jury is still out on this one for me. I've done different things with this, but I'll just share what's worked the best so far for us. I have a file folder for each of the boys. All of their paper stuff goes in the file folder (although the favorites usually have hung on the fridge for awhile before making it in the file folders ). Then, after an amount of time (varies greatly, but I try at least every few months or so ), I have them each grab their file folders, lay out all of their things on the table or the floor, and choose their very favorites to keep. (Waiting awhile after doing the work helps them be more objective - if they did this right after completing each thing, they'd never be able to let go of any of it since the work was too fresh in their minds). I also tell them to pick their best work and try to choose some from each area of school to show a little of what they've done in each area.

Our littler son always wants to keep it all, and he doesn't have as much, so he can keep quite a bit of it, but I do try to help him learn how to go about picking by showing him several things that are very much alike (i.e. all of his handwriting papers he colored), and then have him pick his favorite from those. My oldest son as gotten very good at picking. Then we put all of them that will fit back to back in clear plastic sleeves in a big 3-ring binder - each boy has their own 3-ring binder. We 3 hole punch the ones that won't fit in the sleeves and put those in too. I throw the rest when they are not right there (they know I'm throwing them, but it's easier if they aren't watching me do it since the desire to "save" something always comes over them ). I have taken pictures of their bigger projects that won't fit in the binder, but I don't do a good job of getting them printed and in their binders. However, these things usually end up in their room on their desks or something anyway, and are enjoyed that way. Usually all of this fits in one binder for each year. I'm not sure if this is a good idea long-term or not, but it is what's working well now. I scrapbook as well, but school tends to be separate from my normal scrapbooking (mainly since I can hardly keep up on that as well). I've also thought about pulling them out at the beginning of each school year, or the end, or whenever, just to celebrate what's been learned and see how far they've come - I haven't gotten this done yet though.

I'd love to hear what other moms that have been homeschooling awhile have done long-term, and what they think is really worth it in the long run. (I'm envisioning myself after my sons are all grown up and moved into their own houses giving them 12 binders from their homeschooling, and having them thank me kindly, and then do what with them? Dare I say possibly throw them when I leave? Hard to think of, but could be a possibility.) For now, this system makes us all happy though.

In Christ,
Julie

[netpea]

hmmm, well, so far, at the end of each year, I throw just about everything in a box, and throw it in the basement. I haven't gone through any of it yet.

[Candice]

Terri,

I am like Lee Ann, everything has ended up in a big box so far. Since we are beginning Little Hearts very soon I plan to keep things a bit more organized with a binder and page protectors. I like the idea of preserving things so that we can look back on them someday and appreciate it all.

[water2wine]

All my kids keep binders but I had a thought the other day. I was thinking I needed to create a little remembrance book. It was the post that showed the cool book you could make that got me going. The thing I was thinking about was to write them a letter each year to tell them how they have grown and the great things they did so that years later they can look back on it. I am so sad I did not think of this earlier. I am just thinking when I write the summary for the sate I could also do a more special one for them. I am thinking it could be pout in a scrapbook. Or if you did a big school book by level if you made one for each kid theirs could have their own letter in it. I am talking about the ones that you have made with photos on the computer. You could also scrapbook it if you wanted to show only their work as well. So nothing I have done just something in the hopper. Glad you started this thread so I can get more ideas.

[hsmomof5]

I had been thinking the same on yesterday. After reading everyone's responses, I have some ideas on how to keep our preschool records. I want to save the memories.