Testing & Stuff

It's that time of year again: standardized testing time. The real "test" is not where my kids rank or how much they've learned; the real test is that of my sanity! I really can't complain; North Carolina makes it easy for homeschoolers to be our own bosses. Our only requirements are that we document 180 days of school attendance, and that students age seven and older complete any standardized test. A seemingly small price to pay in exchange for getting to run my school as I choose for the rest of the year.

The past couple of years, I forked out big bucks to have another lady administer the test and evaluate progress. This time, I felt that since I've finally established an idea of my kids' strengths and weaknesses, we could try a different way: online testing. For $20 each, I was sent a thorough test (one with eleven sections!) and a code to enter in order to begin. 

In total honesty...I loathe standardized testing, and chalk it up as a "have to." If a utopia were possible, it would contain zero standardized tests. The questions themselves aren't unrealistic, but the time limits put on kids are. If one child can answer a problem quickly, but a second child takes two minutes to come up with the same answer, does that child know less? According to the test, the answer is yes. 

"Reading Comprehension" is as dry and torturous now as it was thirty years ago. As I looked over my child's shoulder at the computer screen, I was reminded of the tried and true strategy: don't bother reading that wearisome story about erosion; just read the question and hunt for the answer. Continue to repeat this for the next litany of unending questions on the topic, then move on to the equally thrilling chimpanzee story and repeat. Why bother calling his section "Reading Comprehension?" A kid neither must read nor comprehend a thing. Just when I thought my poor child would be traumatized, she ranked as a seventh grader...and she's in third grade. Sigh...the things we must do to prove our children are "educated."

Dessert Group
Since I ended up being the traumatized one, I was glad to host my first monthly dessert group. This is a group of friends who have decided to gather once a month for dessert and conversation. Our first meeting was small, made up of only three ladies. It was an evening of refreshment and key lime cake:

This cake is so easy, the original Pinterest poster calls it "Are You Kidding?" My recipe turned out completely different from hers because you can change up the ingredients in many combinations. All you need is a box of any cake mix flavor, any can of pie filling, and three eggs. I used white mix with key lime filling, then bought regular frosting and added a drop of green. The cake bakes at 350 for about 35 minutes. 

How do you like these two photos of birds in our yard? 

The fellow on the left is a gray catbird. How do I know this? My kids told me. They recognized him from The Burgess Bird Book for Children, much more captivating than the selections they've had to read the past two days. A catbird has a cry much like the "meow" of a cat, hence the name. The two on the right are American goldfinches that come around every now and then. We only saw the catbird that once, and hope he'll be back. 

My desire is that all parents, whether their children are in home or traditional schools, would remember that they as parents are the true educators. We know our kids much better than anyone, and aren't bound to boring facts. Don't let people with letters behind their names dupe you into thinking that they know more about your child's education than you do. Life, dear friends, is "education;" identifying these birds with rich information is a real test...not regurgitating facts by hunting for them and beating the clock with multiple choice answers. I'm passionate about encouraging my peers who seem to think that everyone in the village except parents knows how to "educate" children. 

Going back to testing, it could be worse. Next year I will think twice and opt for the paper test. The online version does not allow for skipping and going back to a question; students must answer and move on, which is also unrealistic. I know I always used to skip ones I didn't know, then go back to them if I had time. The only benefit to the computer test is having the results immediately. I'm willing to trade that in for a more peaceful experience next time. 

Another reminder to use time wisely! The "timer" of our lives keeps ticking, and I'm constantly thinking about how fast it goes, how quickly the years pass. I want my legacy to be one of glorifying God, in time well spent, in standing for truth.

And Can You Guess Why Nibbles Has This Sign at Her Cage?

Speaking of Signs:

Do you find this funny? I sure did! We were driving home the other day when I spotted it. What a way to promote a yard sale:

"Follow Me to Paradise"!!!

Well, it wasn't quite "paradise," but I did go to a sale several weeks ago and found these gems. There's no container like the original Tupperware! They smelled like they'd been in a mothball-filled basement for years, and at first I was afraid the stench wouldn't come out. They were only $1 each, so it was worth a little effort to make them usable. A few baths in hot water and vinegar, interchanged with hot soapy washes, plus being left out in the hot sun (I wonder what the UPS man thought when they greeted him on the walk?!), and finally a wash on the top dishwasher rack....I can't say "Presto!" since it took some doing, but at least our food can be kept and not taste like mildew!

Need a Corny, Side-Splitting Joke?

From Your Own Joke Book, Compiled by Gertrude Crampton, Scholastic Book Services, 1948.

Whenever I forget who I am to the Lord, He is faithful to remind me...

...I may be almost forty, but this is who He sees. A little girl, innocent and unstained, receiving love from a Daddy. If you trust Him, He sees you the same way; you're not defined by your past, by what you've done, or by what's been done to you. You have a Father you can trust, and you are His child. Let's keep asking Him to help us have a right view of who we are.

Yes, Cursive Should Be Taught

Why is this even an issue, whether or not we should "still teach cursive"? Has it become outdated in the eyes of our culture, only to be thrown out like most things creative? I am shocked that it's even a question among parents, and feel sorry for teachers forced to waste time pushing toward tests, tests, tests, unable to focus on imagination and beauty. 

Unabashedly I shout "YES," cursive is worth the time, and I ask a better question: Whose bright idea was it to eschew cursive as a part of instruction? I think it's reprehensible, and if I take such a stand, I have to be willing to do something about it. Cursive is a part of every school day here, and if your child is in traditional school, it can still be a part of your child's life, too. After all, parents are the true "educational professionals;" in spite of what a person with letters behind his name says, you know what's best for your individual children. Teachers have to comply with the latest guidelines, but if you feel that your kids are missing something, don't just throw your hands up. Teach it to them at home!

How sweet are my memories of days at St. Paul's School, where all work after second grade was done in cursive! Yes, that's correct. It never occurred to anyone to question whether cursive should be taught...cursive was part of everything! Beyond second grade, it never entered anyone at that school's mind to print ever again. Incidentally, I'm not convinced that St. Paul's was an island; it's how things were until we became "enlightened" a few years ago: everyone (private or public school) learned and wrote cursive, period. How else would we be able to read anything written?!

Notice that even math was done in cursive, with slanted numbers!

There is a narrow road to be walked, one on which our grandparents' letters and the backs of old photos are still read, and where thank-you notes are still written. Not so long ago, adults (and even children) wrote beautiful cursive. I truly am disgusted with how things are going. I give myself permission to declare that the old ways often are the best ways. We're willing to trade faux-enlightenment for beauty and ability, and it's lamentable. Again, let's stop throwing our hands up in defeat!

In teaching cursive to my kids, I hang on constantly to my memories of St. Paul's. How was I taught? Repetition, practice, constant writing, and it was just expected. I began with each of my own girls in second grade: over and over, it's a marathon and not a sprint, there's no choice but to learn it...and marvel at cursive's beauty. Don't forget the most important point: it's worth it, it's so unquestionably worth it! And our kids are worth teaching well.

Pentime is Milestone Books's ideal transition from manuscript to cursive. This book is well worth the few dollars it costs. I largely skipped the printing, mainly because I waited until second grade to buy it; however, it would be a wonderful resource for first graders to practice printing first. Students receive ample practice with each letter, lower case and capital, and move to entire words. 

My girls did a page of Pentime twice a week. Every day, they were also doing copywork, which involves having them copy a simple passage from a poem, Bible verse, quote, or just a sentence or two about something we've learned. I wanted to reinforce the cursive they were learning, but felt that they weren't ready to copy the entire passage since so far, they had only done letters and short words. The idea I got was to continue with the copywork in neat print, but I would select a word or two afterward and show them how to write it in cursive. For example, if the passage was "Love the Lord your God," they would write that sentence all in print, but then practice "God" three or four times in cursive. 

The final page of the Pentime book lists the entire alphabet in print, then in cursive, capitals followed by lower case letters. For a few weeks, I had the girls trace over two rows at a time of the cursive letters. That was their entire cursive lesson for those weeks, to give them a chance to go over the letters multiple times, developing the flow and learning how each looked.

Now we have moved on to this sweet book that I found at a Charlotte Mason retreat. It includes lines from hymns, and students copy the cursive words right underneath. It can be ordered from the Simply Charlotte Mason web site.

Notice how well my second grader is already doing! Where there were once tears (because yes, "Cursive is hard!"), now there is delight, because "Cursive is beautiful!" Nothing worth doing was ever easy.

Now both girls are rolling right along with cursive. All it takes is commitment to work through books like these, and throw in a little supplemental practice now and then. Literally overnight, my children just know how to write cursive, with letters connected, without asking me "Mom, how do you do 'F'?" I admit, it was no cake walk in the beginning, but I didn't push it. On days when there was frustration but they had tried, I would say, "Let's put this away and we'll get back to it later this week." That works with any subject.

Here's another example of where we are now:

We've been reading a book about colonial Williamsburg, and yesterday we read a passage about small businesses on its main street. I made up this sentence today not only to review a point from the story, but to practice cursive. The girls copied it word for word off the board as I wrote it. Yesterday, our sentences were about some birds we had read about the day before. The nice thing about copywork is that it helps students accomplish multiple tasks: reinforce sentence structure and grammar, review concepts, and practice cursive. It's a great way to teach poetry, learn Bible verses, or drive home science or history facts.

Don't listen to our culture and believe the lie that cursive is obsolete. Swim against the current and dare to keep the beauty of cursive alive. Be encouraged that you are not alone, it's worth it, and it's doable!

O why and whither?--God knows all;

I only know that He is good,

And that whatever may befall

Or here or there, must be the best that could.

                --J. G. W.