Keeping a journal (or diary) is a requirement. In doing so, you will have a written record of your thoughts, educational goals, plans, and activities. We recommend journaling daily.

Think of your journal as a tool that will help you to see clearly the work you have completed, as well as, work that has yet to be completed. As you review your progress, you will want to document any new ideas, or thoughts, that are generated. This will help you to remember them as time passes.

A written record will help you to focus and become more productive. You will want to record the steps you have taken to solve problems and how you overcame obstacles to achieve certain goals.

Learn how to be a proactive parent/teacher and document what works, and what doesn't. For example, the parent/teacher will want to find a routine that works best for their home school program. By maintaining a journal, you will be able to go back to review and compare your programs strengths and weakness in order to make an informed decision for your home school program.

Monitoring your child's diet, exercise, and rest habits will help improve their attentiveness and ability to concentrate during school hours. For example, one of our sons was diagnosed as having ADHD disorder. We felt that medicating him was taking away his ability to be creative and imaginative. As we began to research, we found, that by limiting his intake of food preservatives, such as dyes, fillers, and artificial sweeteners, we were able to minimize his hyperactive tendencies without medication. By keeping a journal, we were able to organize our thoughts into a plan that worked.

At some point, you may want to get a jump on setting goals for the next school year. You will want to organize your goals into a separate journal for each school year. Work as many journals as you want or need.