Just last week I finalized a date for our end of the year homeschool standardized testing. We have always used the Woodcock-Johnson III Test of Achievement and up until now, (it's our 7th year!) we have always used the same tester. This year our tester stopped administering tests so we had to find someone new which caused me a wee bit of anxiety. Anyone would be able to test Z~girl but that isn't the case with A~man and his special needs. Our former tester suggested this new person so I am sure it will be fine. I am hoping that she can meet A~man once before hand just to get a feel of how his mind works.
The test is scheduled for the middle of June so our last "official" day will be the Friday before the Monday testing. What does that mean for us? We pretty much do year around homeschooling as my son needs the routine and the repetition or he will become bored (meaning behaviors increase) and he will not retain some of the information he learns. What we do is take a break from our online curriculum and do more exploring and hands on activities.
I try not to worry about testing. I try. This year for A~man academically I have solely focused on reading, spelling, and typing. Of course we work on other things, especially life skills informally but this year I decided I REALLY wanted to improve his reading skills. I feel like they have improved immensely. Of course as a homeschool mom sometimes we worry that the end of year testing will not show what has been learned. I have a love/hate thing with testing.
We do not really use "grades" in our homeschool and every time someone asks one of our children what grade they are in they look at me. Sometimes it takes me awhile as even Z~girl's learning material varies in levels. Technically though A~man would be finishing 7th grade and Z~girl would be a young 6th grader. Which brings me to the realization that in two years I will be thinking of high school homeschooling. *GULP* Thankfully I have sweet homeschool friends that have paved the way before me... that will hopefully be able to give me advice by that point...and offer me a tissue.
Those of you with little homeschoolers. ENJOY. Time really does go by very fast.
Time does go by way too fast! :/ We started homeschooling my oldest when he was in 1st grade. Now, he's finishing up 8th grade. We used to struggle with the grade level thing. It was never focused on by us, but over time, my boys and I got more and more uncomfortable with them having to look at me every time they were asked what grade they were in, lol. I just ended up telling them each year what grade they are "supposed" to be in. It pacifies people who probably shouldn't ask anyway. :D
ReplyDeleteKatie