Work Sample Guidelines

The Basics...

• 1 work sample for each subject, each meeting.
• Samples should come from the time period between meetings and reflect the learning units and assignments on your Semester Plan.
• Samples should be on 8.5 x 11 paper so I can easily file them. (I am required to keep work samples on file for all of my students for 3 years)
• Samples need to show student work. (No multiple choice tests or activities, or screen printouts of computer based activities.)
• Please don't put dates on the work samples. (If there are dates, they need to match exactly with information on Launchpad, and that can be a challenge.)
• Please try to leave the upper right hand portion of the paper blank. (I will be placing labels with your student's name, the learning unit and the assignment in that section.)

Art and PE Samples

A hand drawn image or photograph of the activity on the top half of a piece of paper, with a written description/narrative on the bottom half.

(In general, descriptions/narratives should follow these guidelines: K - can be dictated and parent/guardian can write, 1st grade - one sentence, 2nd grade - two sentences, 3rd grade - three sentences, 4th grade - four sentences, 5th grade - five sentences, Middle and High School - half page + write-up)

Official Samples

Twice a year I need to submit official sample packets to Visions. I try to collect these samples during LP1 and LP6. I understand that it can be difficult if not impossible to have all of your samples ready for our first meeting of the year, especially if you don't have curriculum yet, or if we meet the first week or two of the year. In those cases, I will collect the remaining official samples at the LP2 meeting.

Tips and ideas: 

• Put your student(s) in charge of choosing, creating and organizing work samples.
• Gather your work samples the week of our meetings so they are of recent work and students will easily be able to discuss what they learned.
• Make the school day before our meeting day a "work sample day" where students can pull together things they want to share and create things that they don't have ready yet.
• If it is easier for you to gather work samples early each LP, to get it out of the way, consider having your student(s) review them the day before the meeting so they can remember what they did :)
• Get together with other homeschool families to create Art and PE samples.

If you are having trouble coming up with work samples, please let me know. We can brainstorm ideas. Remember, it is only one sample, per subject, per learning period, and you are working every day!