Posted by Pam in MA on 12:38 Jan 14
In Reply to: Homeschool Tracker Basic or old-fashioned way? (m) posted by Laurie in VA
When I started, I was doing it all on paper. I think once I was sure we were going to keep homeschooling I decided I'd like a system where it would be easier to create reports for the school department as they got older. I started with the free version and then bought the upgrade because I liked the program. My logic was to practice using the program while the kids are elementary/middle, so by the time they hit highschool and I need transcripts, I'll know what I'm doing.
Having said all that, I don't use it for planning. I enter completed math fact sheet and test results, spelling test results, history test results, etc. as they come up. I enter in all our field trips. I use it for attendance. I use the journal/diary feature occasionally (but I'm not too good about keeping up with that). Initially, I entered all the books we read but have since discovered Readerware, which I like much better for books.
I expect as my kids get older and more independent, I might use more of the assignments features, but honestly the type of curriculum I'm using doesn't really lend itself to that, so we'll see. At least at this point I'm familiar with alot of aspects of the program.
I have also found the HT people to be very helpful (we had a technical issue that they really responded well to) and I would recommend it! HTH