Friday, May 12, 2006
California Achievement Tests
It's standardized testing time around my house. This is the first year that we've been required to do this, so it's new to us. We have reviewed concepts covered on the test ahead of time and are spreading the testing out over three days as suggested.
Super Lasso Girl, my first grader, thinks this is really fun. She's been begging to take the test since it arrived in the mail. After she has breakfast I have her go get dressed in "schoolgirl" clothes that make her feel smart. Then she sits down with her #2 pencils and we go through the testing. As I expected, it's easy for her so far. However, much more important than how she does on the test, I want her to learn how to be comfortable with standardized testing and to develop good skills that she will need later on for the PSATs, SATs, etc.
It will be interesting to see how the other two respond to standardized testing once they are at this stage.
Homeschool Mami
Thursday, May 04, 2006
You might be a homeschooler if...
you can schedule a family vacation around a work conference and learn wherever you go!
Our recent trip to Kentucky and Tennessee was GREAT. Following are some of the highlights, many of which were educational.
We flew into Nashville and drove to Bowling Green, KY, a really nice college town. We walked from downtown to the campus of Western Kentucky University. WKU was a beautiful, beautiful campus. I am not used to public universities that are so well endowed. There was a strip of beautiful victorian homes right that I loved right off the campus. The next day we went on an underwater boat ride at Lost River Cave. Really very fun.
We drove into Louisville and went to the Louisville Science Center (across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum and walked around the beautiful clean downtown area including the impressive Fourth Street Live. We were surprised at how clean and sophisticated Louisville was. We also took a peek at Churchill Downs, but didn't take the tour because the kids were worn out. Driving in that part of Louisville we started to see some of the poorer neighborhoods and the contrast was quite stark, particularly compared to the luxury of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.
We also stayed in Cave City (a depressed small town in the touristy "Cave Country") and walked through Franklin, Kentucky, supposedly one of the South's 50 Best Small Towns.
Finally we spent time in Nashville which had so much more energy and sophistication than I expected from my own preconceived notions. I have a dear friend who lives there and we were able to spend time with her--which was great. The kids and my hubby went to the Nashville Zoo, and we enjoyed the indoor gardens and fountains at the Opryland Hotel and also the unbelievably huge Opry Mills.
I am not a big mall person, but Opry Mills was so cool. They had an Aquarium Restaurant that was world class with sharks swimming around and rays and every other kind of fish you can imagine in a 200,000 gallon aquarium. Across from the restaurant was a tank with rays that could be pet and hand-fed!
That's my quick recap, but we so enjoyed our time!
Homeschool Mami
Our recent trip to Kentucky and Tennessee was GREAT. Following are some of the highlights, many of which were educational.
We flew into Nashville and drove to Bowling Green, KY, a really nice college town. We walked from downtown to the campus of Western Kentucky University. WKU was a beautiful, beautiful campus. I am not used to public universities that are so well endowed. There was a strip of beautiful victorian homes right that I loved right off the campus. The next day we went on an underwater boat ride at Lost River Cave. Really very fun.
We drove into Louisville and went to the Louisville Science Center (across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum and walked around the beautiful clean downtown area including the impressive Fourth Street Live. We were surprised at how clean and sophisticated Louisville was. We also took a peek at Churchill Downs, but didn't take the tour because the kids were worn out. Driving in that part of Louisville we started to see some of the poorer neighborhoods and the contrast was quite stark, particularly compared to the luxury of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.
We also stayed in Cave City (a depressed small town in the touristy "Cave Country") and walked through Franklin, Kentucky, supposedly one of the South's 50 Best Small Towns.
Finally we spent time in Nashville which had so much more energy and sophistication than I expected from my own preconceived notions. I have a dear friend who lives there and we were able to spend time with her--which was great. The kids and my hubby went to the Nashville Zoo, and we enjoyed the indoor gardens and fountains at the Opryland Hotel and also the unbelievably huge Opry Mills.
I am not a big mall person, but Opry Mills was so cool. They had an Aquarium Restaurant that was world class with sharks swimming around and rays and every other kind of fish you can imagine in a 200,000 gallon aquarium. Across from the restaurant was a tank with rays that could be pet and hand-fed!
That's my quick recap, but we so enjoyed our time!
Homeschool Mami
