A simple planning binder may be used for children under 8 years old.   Parents may use the binder as they plan learning experiences for their children.  It is a great tool for weekly mentor meetings and children may record their learning experiences for later reference.  
Planner/Portfolio Supplies:   One 3 Ring Binder,  Divider tabs (two sets of 5 tabs), Printed copies of the forms below. ​
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Portfolio/Planner Organization
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Tab 1:  Learning Goals:   Click and print the forms listed to the right to put in this section. These forms may be used for goal setting and calendaring:
  1. Quarterly Goals:  Identify learning experiences for young children to participate in during the next three months.  Include goals in each of the areas of heart, mind, might and strength.  Remember that the joy of participation is the key at this age.  
  2. 3 Month Calendar:  This provides a quick glance of weekly activities and other events such as field trips, family activities, neighborhood get-to-togethers, etc.  
  3. Weekly Compass:  At the beginning of the week, the weekly compass may be used to plan more detail and set learning goals for the week.  This form may be used as a guide for the weekly mentor meeting. If you use a binder that allows inserts on the binder cover, you may choose to slip the Weekly Compass in the binder cover for easy visibility.
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Tab 2:  Evaluations.  The Participation Record may be included in this section.   Children will begin to receive evaluation for their work after they reach the age of eight or the age of accountability.  If parents choose to have any developmental or diagnostic testing done at this age, they may also include a summary of test results in this section.
Tab 3:  Experiences/Activities.  This section of the portfolio is to record learning experiences such as field trips, camps, concerts, etc.  Pictures are  a great way to enhance this section of the portfolio and offer a visual summary of children's growth and learning. 
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Tab 4: RSLL Charts.   This section is used to maintain a list of books read, service experiences, leadership opportunities, and Life Skills.  Click on the buttons to the right to print a simple form to record these experiences.

If your family is participating in the Well-Educated Heart program from Libraries of Hope, you may use this section to track your stories from year to year as your rotate through the Story Resource Guide.  Click here to print reading logs for the Well-Educated Heart program.

You may consider printing the different forms in this section on different colors of paper to keep this section easier to manage.                     
Tab 5:  Awards/Recognition.  This section is to record any awards or recognition that children may receive.  The Log file to the right is to list the awards.  Achievement certificates may also be presented at recognition evenings every three months.  Parents may design these on 8 1/2" x 11" paper to fit easily into the binder.   
Section 2:  5 Divider Tabs
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Create a tab for each subject:  Language Arts, Math, History, Science.  Add additional tabs as desired. Learning benchmark lists, reading lists, and other resources may be filed in each section.