Start the new homeschool year off right by having a plan to organize your child's homeschool writing. Whether your child is in Kindergarten or Middle School, a writing portfolio is essential to show progress and growth of your child's writing skills. Here are some creative and fun ideas to store and organize your homeschooler's writing, which will appeal to your child as well!

1. Pizza Box Plan- Obtain a new and clean pizza box from your local pizza place. Some stores will give one to you and others may charge you a bit. Use this box as a guideline for your child's personal large pie of writing! Begin by working with your child (ages 4-14 will enjoy this) to make a list of 8-10 writing projects he or she will complete this school year. Next, create a large pizza pie out of construction paper, being sure to have 8-10 distinct slices. Label each slice with the writing project due this school year, such as "Personal Narrative" or "Acrostic Poem". You can even make removable slices if you are so inclined, so they can be attached to projects as they are completed with a paper clip. As your child does his or her writing assignments you can "eat" a slice off of the pizza pie, and add their project inside the box. The box is a nice, large size that can accomodate posters or projects with writing assignments. This easy storage is sure to keep your homeschooler's work neat and well kept. You may choose one large pie per year, or several, depending on your child's age. If you are looking for writing ideas for each age group a great book is "Books, Lessons, Ideas for Teaching the Six Traits: Writing in the Elementary and Middle Grades" by Vicki Spandel.

2. Hang Your Writing out to Dry- Use a clothesline and attach it across an area in your home to display your child's writing and portfolio works. I used to keep my son's across the room in his playroom. Of course be sure to put the line high enough to prevent injury, and explain the purpose of this to your child. Family and friends will love seeing your child's writing displayed and your homeschooler will be proud to share it! When the clothesline is full, place the work in a clean and empty square laundry basket to store for your year end evaluation. This is a wonderful way to display writing with art for younger homeschoolers, too.

3. Scrapbook It- Use a large scrapbook and help your child assemble a one of a kind writing album! Purchase stickers, embellishments and other goodies to spruce up each page. Children who are into art and scrapbooking will love seeing their writing come to life in a fun format that is ready to share. This scrapbook can be kept out as a coffee table book, or on display in the family library. Chenille Kraft Scrapbookin' Kids Activities Box is an awesome starter set of scrapbook goodies to begin your creative journey!