Homeschool testing done!

Now, I try (seriously try) to keep my mind off of all testing. In fact, we do not do testing on subjects throughout the year unless it is a computer class that retests to check on retention. Still, I cannot tell you the relief I feel that our yearly testing is done!

It seriously couldn't have been much worse of a week to have A~man do testing though. We have company here for almost two weeks so he is "kicked" out of his bed so we can sleep there, and is on an air mattress in his room. I normally do this when we have company as we have a master bath in our bedroom...so it allows me to help our guests have a bit more privacy. Plus, it usually helps me to keep A~man safer in case someone leaves out medication or things he could get into. (most family visiting by now know to keep food and medications out of sight)

Also, this week was A's appointment with his new Dr, who is a pediatric gastrointerologist. That will be a whole 'nother post at another time. I will say the appointment went well, the Dr. was familiar with Prader-willi syndrome, and we have a plan on moving things along. (hahaha sometimes a person has to laugh)

The lady who did the homeschool standardized test has been doing it since we started homeschooling. I've mentioned it before but we use the Woodcock-Johnson Tests as it works well with children who have learning challenges. I admit that most of A~man's progress was minimal, and I have to keep reminding myself that he will learn what he needs to in his own time. My job is to help him achieve the potential that God (NOT ME) wants for him. Also...he was not tested under the optimal situation for him. I forgot to add he broke his glasses a week ago, (I am so far behind blogging!) and I will not have them back until Tuesday. YET, I do have a mommy brag on him. For Oral Comprehension he went from a 1.2 to a 4.7! What this means is, that in this particular area he went up 3 grade levels!! Picture Vocabulary went up 1 grade level. So even though he just progressed by a couple months in the other areas...he wowed me and the tester in these two areas.

He has always been a whole word type of reader but she also noticed his spelling and phonetic awareness is emerging. I will say I have seen it for years but it is nice that someone neutral, that only knows him for testing is now seeing it! So for next year I will continue on learning the words at his level...and now work on him writing them more. Mainly, I have been having him do his online spelling program, but I am going to add him writing them into sentences, and make him some spelling flashcards to reinforce the words he is learning.

Oh and I cannot forget my Z~girl! Her tests were done as a 4th grader. (she will be 11 in August) I always get confused on what to say when someone asks us what grade the children are in. We just do not think in those terms, until I see the grade level at testing. If I would have put her in public school, due to her birthday, she would either have been a very young kindergartner or an older one if I held her back. So when we started testing I had the proctor test her originally as an older kindergartner. Yet due to her age this last year if someone asks, I say she would be in the 5th grade. I have really made that way more complicated than it needed to be. LOL

She doesn't have any learning challenges, although like me, math does not come easy for her. I admit. I was nervous what her math score would show. I sometimes, in my irrational moments, equate these tests into how well I am doing teaching them. (I need to get over that!) She is right at grade level for math but in one area of math she surprised the lady as she was trying (and successful) at doing some mental math. What I understood was, in her head, she was figuring math problems, that were beyond what she currently knew.

On all the other areas of the testing she has progressed a year and in many of the areas 2 and 3 years ahead of where she was a year ago! She does need help with her writing. She has a lot of great, creative ideas that she puts on paper but she needs help with the mechanics of it.

OK, instead of a blog entry this has become a shameless bragfest! I really am proud of my kids, but it's the pride of seeing them grow and mature into what God wants them to be.