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Doing Well Enough To Be Left Alone?
Did your student make a year’s growth academically? If so, how do you know that, and can you prove it? Decades ago, here in Oregon, the rules for proving academic growth by means of an achievement test were rolled back. Previous to the rule change, an annual achievement test was required at all grade levels. It…
Technology Danger: Proceed with Caution
Hello Home Schoolers, It’s been a while since I’ve posted something. Now that things are quieting down around Basic Skills, I do have something. The cultural shift we’re seeing is huge. I don’t think it’s something we’re going to see change as much as we wish once “the other guys” are in office politically. The issues we’re…
Plan to Improvise
In a previous post I encouraged you to “prepare for tomorrow, today.” In other words, I suggested that planning as opposed to “winging it” yields better results. The question I often get asked is, how far into the future and how specific should lessons be planned? A week, two weeks, a month? Years ago, one of…
Live Not By Lies
In 1974 Solzhenitsyn wrote an essay bearing this title. Solzhenitsyn, a Russian novelist, philosopher, and historian, was also an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and Communism. He helped raise global awareness of the Soviet Gulag forced-labor camp system. He, himself, had spent time in the gulag for writing a single letter that was critical…
Slow Down, Think, and Reflect
Today’s tools of communication encourage us to move faster and faster. The options are growing. Within moments you can text, tweet, post on Instagram, and comment on Facebook. Maybe like me, you’re addicted to the speed they represent. These communication channels, however, discourage things like thinking, reflecting, and calmly responding. What they encourage is the…
Using the PER Report with Your Student: Apply Accountability
The PER Report compliments the standard achievement test report by pinpointing the items missed by the student. To make the best use of the information this report provides, I’ve suggested parents use a three-step approach when reviewing the results with their children. The first two steps are: • Dignify their response by identifying, but not…