K12journal is an electronic grading and record keeping system. Included is a CD, which contains the program and user's guide. The program allows you to create lesson plans, record attendance, and keep track of test scores and completed assignments. You can print out report cards for your children and transcripts. You can keep record of their attendance by day or subject. I also like that you can archive journal entries and attendance for completed school years.

This is certainly not a "pop it in your computer and you are off and running" program. To have the software do the work for you, there is an initial investment of time that needs to be made to set everything up. You need to enter your student information, which if you are using this for home use, the social security numbers and some other information can be skipped. All of the subjects and textbooks would need to be entered. You will need to enter your school year; number of hours spent in school your grading system and other things. One good thing about entering this information is that if you have repetitive information for each child, you only need to enter it once. From there, you could generate summary reports, test/assignment scores, grades, attendance records and other reports. As a homeschooling mom, I have never used an electronic grading and record keeping system before, and this is certainly something that will take some time to get the hang of.

While using the program, I liked the fact that I could have multiple windows open at the same time. It makes switching between screens to update or change information a breeze.

The idea is to let the software simplify your administrative duties. I believe once all of the information is entered and I become acquainted with the software, much time would be shaved off of my administrative duties. I'm just not sure I am willing to put in the time. I played with it for a little over an hour just familiarizing myself with the program and what it can do. I do not have it set up yet. That is a long time for me to get something started. I think this software is nice for someone who is used to this type of electronic grading and record keeping system and is computer savvy. If you go to their website, you can order a free trial demo.

-- Product Review by: Ruth Hoskins, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC