To test or not to test
I’m administering a standardized test to my oldest son over the next few days. There are differing opinions on the benefits of doing so. I’m using such a device for several reasons: to identify areas of proficiency, to identify areas that may need improvement, and to teach him useful test-taking skills and strategies. Hopefully, the results will be of benefit to us.
Took a day off and went pumpkin picking
We took the afternoon off and had some family time today at the pumpkin farm. I cherish these moments and am thankful that I can shift gears to be able to relax and enjoy our times together. However, I know that I still need to cover certain topics in their studies that weren’t taught today while we were out enjoying nature. I don’t count field trips as a replacement for academics, just supplements to hopefully keep things well-rounded..
Better with the algebraic concepts
We spent sometime yesterday morning going back through math word problems and discussing them with our tutor. Singapore’s introducing algebraic concepts in elementary school but teaching you how to solve them in an easier fashion compared to how we learned them.
While at some point it’s likely I’ll farm out their math, I still want to know and hopefully understand what they are studying. I think it’s important for homeschooling parents to learn with their kids and not to just remain as a parallel participant. My kids’ studies seem to fare better when I stay engaged in all aspects.
Ivy League Homeschooling 