Yesterday I had my son evaluated in order to meet our state's legal requirements for ensuring he's making "adequate educational progress." We do have the option of using a nationally standardized test, but with his vision problems, I think that would have been a nightmare choice for him! We met with the evaluator at a nearby library and spent about 45 minutes talking about our school and what he enjoys. I told my husband later that it really felt like we simply jumped through a hoop! However, I'm glad that the experience was easy for my son and that we don't need to worry about it again for another 2 years (at which point I'll have 2 children requiring evaluations).

I really appreciated that the lady I found to do the evaluation really understands families like ours. She homeschooled her own daughter (who had been diagnosed with ADD) and used an unschooling approach. While we don't entirely "unschool," I encourage a lot of creative play during our days - and I'm learning to encourage more science "experimentation," too! I value my daughter's piano practice as much as her reading skills and my son's baseball as much as his math. I want them to build skills for life, and while the academic learning is important, so are character training and cooking and chores.

So while we jump through the hoops our state requires, we continue with what we believe the Lord wants us to accomplish. I don't mind the accountability to make sure we are educating our children. But I'm also thankful for the freedom and flexibility we have at the same time!