A portfolio review, also known as a written narrative, is one option to meet the homeschool requirements in Ohio. As the end of the school year approaches, I have families contact me about what a portfolio review entails. Below you will find six questions that I am asked frequently by homeschool families.

1.Does a state certified teacher need to look at my child’s work? Yes, this is one of the requirements and the teacher must be licensed in Ohio, not another state.

2. What is the assessor looking for when they review my student’s work? They are looking to see that progress has been made for the academic work that is in accordance with their abilities. No other test is given nor is your child compared to other students.

3. What subjects will I need to show samples of to the assessor?  The following are requirements that the state says we must cover each year according to the Home Education Notification Form.

• Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Social studies
• Science
• Heath
• Fine Arts (music, art)
• Health
• First Aid, Safety, Fire Prevention

4. What kinds of work samples do I include for a written narrative? Here are some ways that you can document work that has been completed:

• Workbooks or workbook pages
• Projects- Whether that is for science, social studies, art,etc.,  these would all be acceptable for samples. If projects are too large to take with you to your appointment, you can always take photos of what your student has done to show your assessor.
• Writing samples of your pupil help the teacher see the progress that has been made throughout the year in the area of language arts. Cards, journal entries, poems, reports, outlines and essays are all considered examples of writing for language arts. If your little one is just beginning to write, then show samples of letter formation and printing.
• Reading lists of book titles help a teacher to see the progress that has been made if you have an early reader (grades K-3).  If you don’t have a complete list, that is fine, just write ten titles of books that have been read from the beginning of the year to the end. For instance, they began with Bob Books and are now reading easy readers. What level are they currently reading and can you list several titles?
• Field trips are great ways to show fine arts, science and social studies because many of the places visited are related in some aspect to these academic areas. You can include the program from the play you saw, a map of the zoo, or pictures of the activity your child was participating in when you went to the museum or attended a community program.

5. We did quite a bit of our schoolwork orally, how do I show that? You can write a list of what topics you studied and how you determined  understanding/ mastery of what you taught. If you use a whiteboard for school, take some pictures of the work so you have documentation to show.

6. We use a curriculum that is on the computer, how do I show my student’s progress? Can you print off grades or did your student receive a certificate of accomplishment for the course or activity? This will show that your child has completed the work.

Do you have a question that I didn’t address about portfolio reviews? Please write a comment and I will be glad to answer it.

If you are in need of an assessor, I will be happy to review your student’s work. Please email me, schoolmarmohio@me.com  so we can set up an appointment. If you do not live in Greater Cincinnati, I can still meet with you via Skype. Just let me know you are in need of this option.