May. 6, 2008
Changing the Plans

OK, I'm sure some of you out there are very similar to me and like to have every thing all planned out and in order regarding your schooling.  Well, I did.  That is until last Tuesday.

What is so special about last Tuesday you ask?  Taylor took her yearly test as required by law in the wondeful state of NC.  Now, we as parents are allowed to administer any nationally standardized test to our own children, but I really wanted some insight into Taylor's learning strenghts and weaknesses from a person on the outside looking in.  I've tried to figure this kid out for 7 years now and she still completely baffles me.

The test itself wasn't any big suprise to me.  She's above average in reading, below average in spelling and right at average everywhere else.  I could have told you that without a test.  What WAS very helpful was a couple of subtests that were administered.  These tests really helped to see what learning modalities Taylor used best.  There was a story recall section where Taylor listened to a story that was read and had to see how many details of the story she could remember.  Otherwise known as narration in the world of homeschooling.  Well, Taylor scored at almost a 5th grade level in that.  Before my head starts to swell with pride, let me remind myself that the tester told me that this was above average for public schooled children, it was only right at average for homeschoolers.  And my bubble is deflated.  Not really, but we all like to imagine that our children are budding geniouses, right?  As  a side note the tester said that the reason homeschool students do so well in this part of the test is that they have constant interaction with us.  In other words, we talk to our kids.  She said that on average a child in a classroom only has 5 minutes a day (it could have been less) of face to face, one on one time with the teacher.  To me, that is astounding.  This story recall test was also a good test to see if Taylor was an auditory learner.  She compared the results of this test with the next one which was called understanding directions.

Now at times Taylor and I have made a game of how many directions I can give her and she can follow without forgetting anything, but she amazed even me in how well she did on this test.  I certainly could not have done it.  The tester could only read the directions one time, but the difference between this test and the last is that this one had a picture to look at and Taylor had to use her finger to point.  It started out fairly simple- touch the cat, then the tree, then the boy that's behind the car.  But by the END of it she was doing things like- do not touch the boy who is not holding a ball and the bird that is in the biggest tree after you touch the girl who is coming out of the school and the two ducks in the pond, unless there are 2 cows in the field.  Phew!  like I said, I wouldn't have stood a chance.  But she did great!  She out performed even her story recall score.

After all of Taylor's testing was done came the part that I was most looking forward to and forked out the big bucks for -the parent meeting!  Hoorah!!  She was so helpful.  I only wish I had brought a tape recorder.  Especially since I was feeling so terrible.  She gave so many great ideas and now I can't remember a lot of them.  John, my husband, said I should have recorded her with my phone.  If I had thought about it, I would have.  Anyway, I do remember some things.  She said that Taylor is a visual-kinisthetic learner.  A lot of those quirks of Taylor's that just drive me absolutely insane during school (like hanging upside down in her chair, wanting to be surrounded by stuffed animals, bouncing up and down on the couch, ect) are just part of how she learns best.  Now I'm not saying that I won't still struggle with this and that I won't still lose it at times and demand that she SIT STILL, but I will make a concerted effort to let her be who God made her to be and not to try and fit her into MY mold of how I want her to be.  Deb (the tester) told me that if Taylor is sitting still, looking at me, with her hands neatly folded, then her mind is a million miles away and she is not listening to a word I say.

A lot of things we do already- like having Taylor draw or color or play quietly while I'm reading out loud to her.  We both love to do project learning.   I teach math using manipulatives.  So at least I had some things right.  We have been using Bob Jones math successfully for 1 1/2 years now.  It was the only curriculum that I was certain of when planning for school next year.  But Deb told me that starting in 3rd grade they really phase out of the manipualtive learning that Taylor needs.  She highly recommended that Taylor use Moving with Math.  The really funny thing about this is that Moving with Math is the very first program I was going to buy when Taylor started Kindergarten.  I didn't buy it because it was so expensive.  Then we proceeded to buy 3 different math programs just her Kindergarten year!  I should have just bought it in the first place.  Now I have a Bob Jones 3rd grade math sitting on my shelf and a Moving with Math Level B set sitting beside me.

I found this Moving with Math last night at AGAPE's used book sale and saved a good bit of money.  But, I'm still going to hold on tho the BJU math until I'm sure that Moving with Math will work for us.

Wow, this post is getting really long.  You'll have to tune in later for part 2 of figuring out Taylor and how to help her learn.  He he!

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Comments

• May. 7, 2008
Can't wait

Posted by jbird1898

I can't wait to get Lilly's test back and see where she is. I am sure I will be surprised. I am still trying to figure out what curriculum I want to use.

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• May. 8, 2008
Untitled Comment

Posted by kristenph

What wonderful information to learn! I have one kid who has to be kinesthetic-auditory. I really struggle with teaching him anything!!!!

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