In my post on Monday, I suggested that unplugging from digital media maybe a key to finding our way back to more healthy relationships. Givingour brains a break is necessary to learning to be at peace withourselves and others, to be able to think and respond thoughtfully towhat’s going on around us. It’s necessary to avoiding…
Why do old movies like Rocky, Rudy, or Hoosiers still resonate with so many audiences? I have an idea why. First, a couple of negative examples that point out what I’m not talking about. Long, long ago, when public school teachers still had a reasonable degree of authority in the classroom, I had an…
From Sam Burgess’s May 8th Substack: We’ve normalized over consumption. Podcasts while walking. Doomscrolling on the toilet. Netflix while eating. Something is always filling the silence. We’re becoming scared of our own thoughts. Our minds have no breathing space. We’re feeling groggy and mentally exhausted. Of course we are. Boredom is the cure. Sam’s short…
Hello Home Schoolers! Did the testing deadline here in Oregon sneak up on you? Unable to find an examiner to test your student before August 15? You’re not alone, and we can help! Oregon’s administrative rule regulating testing states: (5) Children in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, being taught as provided in section (4)…
The deadline for testing in Oregon is August 15, 2026 for 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. Basic Skills still has room in our remote testing groups for grades 3rd through 12th. Testing to comply with Oregon homeschool law is very important. Besides testing for compliance, why else would you choose to test the other grade years…
Because writing by hand makes a difference! Years ago, Oregon’s Common Core Standards threw out the teaching of cursive writing. Currently, 41 states don’t require it. Why? Well, of course we live in the digital age. Learning cursive writing or writing an essay by hand is an antiquated practice. We need digital literacy. We don’t want to…
In my last post I presented 3 reasons why testing annually provides a direct and personal benefit to families who chose to do so. Annual achievement testing also provides a comprehensive benefit to the home school community as a whole. It’s a tool that enables us to protect ourselves and our children from government intrusion into…
Have you ever had one of “those conversations” where what starts out light and pedestrian becomes heavy, oppositional, and maybe verbally combative? There was a day when these kinds of conversations and exchanges happened only occasionally. But now they happen all the time. Achievement testing, when required to satisfy state requirements used to be one…
Here are three reasons why parents go with in-person-private testing. · Eliminates Distraction: In group settings, there is always the possibility of distraction. Someone is experiencing allergies. Someone is talking. Questions raised by students require answers. Test directions that need to be repeated or clarified. There will be differences in how long students take to complete test…
The question behind the question in the subject line is likely, “Do tests taken in Washington satisfy Oregon’s testing requirement? The two standards found in Oregon’s administrative rule 339.035 3bA state: The parent or legal guardian shall select an examination from the approved list and arrange to have the examination administered to the child by…