My Student Logbook (Blogging Through the Alphabet)

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! 

After so many years of homeschooling, I've had plenty of opportunities to try curriculum and explore all kinds of resources, so during this Blogging Through the Alphabet tour, I'm highlighting some of the many homeschooling resources that have been stand-outs. Sometimes it will be a walk down memory lane as I share something we enjoyed many years ago, and sometimes it will be something we're using currently. Sometimes I'll focus on a specific curriculum, and sometimes on a subject area. And I imagine I'll have to be a bit creative with a couple letters of the alphabet! This week I'm going back several years to reminisce about a great record-keeping resource we relied on - My Student Logbook.

We were introduced to My Student Logbook through a Homeschool Crew review at the beginning of the school year in 2014. Quite honestly, when we first looked at it, I thought my teens would consider it "too young" for them. But at the time, Kennady was a middle schooler who needed something to help her keep track of what she needed to work on, and we agreed that she would try it. It was just a few days after it arrived and we got it set up that we decided it would be good for Landon (high schooler at that time) as well, and went ahead and purchased one for him too. So you could say it was the surprise hit of the school year!

  

The website and online store has changed a little in the years since, but My Student Logbook is still available, and it looks like its simple but brilliant design hasn't changed. It hasn't needed to, because it's so adaptable and efficient the way it is.

Okay, so if you're not familiar, My Student Logbook was created by a real homeschool mom that needed a simple system to keep track of the schoolwork her four young kids were working on. It started from a simple notebook and she tweaked the design until she had a simple organizational system that could be easily used by even young children. She created logbooks for friends and local homeschoolers before setting up shop to make them available to even more homeschoolers.

The notebook has daily columns for checking off when items are completed; and a fold-over list of the items on that to-do list. This means the same list can be used over and over again! And that means that a lot of time and trouble is saved, because the list of subjects to work on or chores to complete only has to be filled out once and can be used for multiple weeks, or as long as needed. The logbooks are available dated or undated, and with several cover design options.
  There are instructions in the front of the logbook about setting it up, as well as information about using it for keeping track of high school level courses for credit. It's simple and straightforward. You can also watch the tutorial video on the website to see how it works. 
Although it's not well suited for detailed assignment lists with page numbers or specific instructions for each day's work, but it's perfect for checking off that the daily assignments have been done. We also listed some daily chores that needed done so there was a visual reminder to do them, and a box to check when the task was completed. I listed the subjects I wanted the kids to work on and noted how many days a week they were expected to do that. The boxes for each day can be used as a simple checkbox that the task was done or to record how much time was spent on that subject. For the high schooler that needs to log hours for credit, keeping track of the time spent is important. Landon was logging hours for Phys.Ed. and for Civil Air Patrol, and he kept track of those in his logbook. I had him track how much time he was spending on his other subjects as well.     We loved My Student Logbook as it definitely filled a need for us at the time! I thought it was particularly useful for middle school students who are working on developing independent study habits and learning to manage their own time. But it can be used by younger students ready to start practicing independence, and by high school students who need records of attendance and time spent on subjects in order to prepare their transcripts. I loved that my students had a tool that helped them learn responsibility for keeping their own records. 
You can read our full review here: My Student Logbook (Schoolhouse Crew Review)



How do your students keep track of their assignments and their time? Leave a comment and let me know!

Blogging Through the Alphabet again? Yes, I'm taking the challenge, along with several other Crew members, including our three co-hosts for this round - Amanda at Hopkins Homeschool, DaLynn at Biblical Womanhood, and Kirsten at DoodleMom's Homeschooling Life. The link is open from Thursday to Wednesday each week, so join in if you'd like!

This post is linked at Blogging Through the Alphabet for Week 13, Letter M.

This post is also linked at Homeschool Blog & Tell at The Homeschool Post; and at the Homeschool Linky Party on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

 

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email!

 ©2006-2018 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.