home education

The waiting is…

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head-on-desk

Good night!  Waiting on PSAT scores is interminable!  It’s electronic people!!  Why does it take so long?!

Ok, so maybe I need to calm down.  Maybe.

It’s only been about 4 weeks since my #1 son survived the taking of the PSAT.  There’s no pressure, you know.  Just means College.  Or NO college.  Right?!  No pressure!

It is so sad to me that we work so hard in homeschooling to make it about the education, and not about standardized tests.  And yet we have been brought low by the PSAT-NMSQT.  We focused on practicing for the test.  We feel confident in our test taking abilities.  And yet, one bad day could be disastrous.

And so I wait…

And the patience-waiting correlation is in a downward spiral.

So here’s to waiting patiently.  And praying for that most awesome of scores.  And a bright future for #1 son full of opportunities.

I can do this!  I am Super Homeschool MOM!           LOL

AND while I wait, I’ve been trying to create new projects and new opportunities, because, well….  That’s how I roll.  Have to keep busy, or the above insanity ensues.  If you’re in the waiting, what do you do?  LMK!

(If you’re in denial about your kids growing up, or maybe you have grand-kids in your near future, be sure to click on the Melissa and Doug affiliate link…  There are some super duper cuteness on their page.)

 

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Getting Lost… Just Surviving

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I will apologize if this particular post is neither encouraging or supporting.  This is a true journal entry.  And for my friends that always expect me to be “UP” or have all the answers, this post is not for you.

Have you ever felt lost?  Without purpose?  Are you just going through the motions?  Just surviving to complete each day?  Do you keep telling everyone, “I’m fine”?  Usually, I don’t go into survival mode until the Spring, but the fall has hit me hard.  We are in constant motion between homeschooling, co-op, dance and swim.  And I’m just surviving.

Normally I don’t broadcast my issues across the world.  I’m not into drama.  But I think it’s important, especially as homeschool moms, we need to support each other.  Some days are better than others, and these periods are usually temporary. 

For me, I feel this period of survival is lasting longer than previous events.  I can usually “fake it ’til I make it” for a couple of down weeks, but it’s been more than a month at this point.  And I’m choosing to talk about it, because I see that I need to do more than just “fake it.”  For the last week I’ve been attempting to work myself out of it.  Started new projects.  Participated in a webinar.  Bought or downloaded new books to inspire me.

And my concern is that webinars that ask us to define our purpose, and I draw a blank (and I mean a complete and total blank).  Books that attempt to get us to picture what delights us, so we can identify our vision, and I have NOTHING.  Books that tell us if we know our WHY, we will be motivated and successful, and I just can’t read it right now.  It’s horrifying!  (I’m a bit of a control freak, so I usually know something.)

I feel lost.

So here I am, broadcasting my own personal drama, in hopes that by writing about it, I might find purpose.  I’ve always believed my kind of problems are teeny-tiny and selfish, so I don’t share.  I know others that are fighting and/or surviving cancer, or caring for loved ones at the end of their days – so they are operating  on such a different plane of survival; my (truly mental) issues are tiny.  I should not complain.

Or maybe someone out there knows exactly how I feel, and we can survive together.

So, I received an e-mail this week that it’s Hug A Runner month, and the RunTheEdge goal to support this organization this month is Random Acts of Kindness.  HugARunner.com has information about GO HARD.  Starbucks new theme is “GiveGood;” in general, show kindness.  So my goal this month while I survive, and rethink, is to be KIND; to do as many kind and unselfish things to brighten someone else’s day, and in the process I might be inspired and find purpose in my day, and learn to be GRATEFUL for the BLESSINGS I have.

Thanks for visiting today!  I am grateful for you!  May God bless you tenfold!

Homeschooling for High School: PSAT

I recently published the following post on my business site.  PSAT testing should not be missed, whether you use it to practice for the SAT or hoping to be awarded National Merit Scholar.  You can click through, and read about how to prepare for and find information for taking the PSAT.

HURRY!  You need to register NOW if you want to catch this OCTOBER’s test date (this is critical for High School Juniors).

October is PSAT Test-taking time. Although considered the precursor to the SAT, the PSAT is extremely important, and not to be missed. As it is offered only ONCE A YEAR, this test can easily be missed. 2017 dates are October 11 (Primary) and October 14 (Saturday).

via HER Distribution | Archives | September 2017

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You might know by now, this is not my favorite question…  but it is the most popular question when I am in the bookstore, as every child and family are different.  What works for one child, will not always work for another.

In my limited opinion, the above is true, except for test taking.  Every child should do better if they PRACTICE, and practice some more.

The SAT can be taken multiple times, and there are many resources for practicing.  So I just wanted to share with you what we accomplished within our homeschool (though the method is recommended for any child: public, private or home school).

  1. Test Prep Seminar or Workshop – Although many co-ops offer math or essay workshops, College Prep Genius (affiliated link) has been popular in our area.  My co-op, Christian Educators Resource Center, even offered the workshop until 2016 when the NEW 2016 SAT came out.
    • My oldest Logic Smart son attended this live workshop and received the workbook on paper.  As the new material was still being edited, he has access to the eTextbook (Kindle) and Seminar Videos through an on-line account.
    • During the seminar – they completed a series of PRACTICE questions.
  2. From Amazon, we purchased the NEW 2016 SAT Test Prep book published by the College Board.
    • Using KHAN Academy’s SAT app, my oldest was able to complete four (4) PRACTICE tests, scan them into the app, and receive immediate feedback.
  3. Princeton Review’s Test Center (Plano, TX) -Offers weekly and monthly classes, and test PRACTICE for SAT and ACT.
    • He was offered an opportunity to take the SAT PRACTICE test for free through Princeton Review in April 2016 and again in April 2017 (MORE PRACTICE).
  4. Official SAT Test – Students can take the SAT as many times as they like.
    • Although we consider it just PRACTICE, it provides us an opportunity to see if the methods are working.

What does all this PRACTICE mean?  My oldest Logic Smart son was able to improve his SAT score by 50-100 points, every time he completed it (officially and unofficially).

Because the SAT and PSAT have time limitations, and they are so important, many students have Test Anxiety.  Although not all of the Anxiety can be cured with practice, being familiar with the test, and what is expected, can help many students alleviate test anxiety to a workable level.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

test takingAttending workshops whenever they are available, taking PRACTICE tests at home, and taking the SAT at least once a year (starting in the 9th Grade), can go a long way to having improved scores.  If you haven’t started early, then I highly recommend taking classes through Princeton Review or Kaplan.  If these are not available, a variety of test prep books are available, and Jean Burke provides her workshops on-line at College Prep Genius.

For my youngest Body Smart daughter, test taking is NOT her thing.  So the plan, as described in the above article, is to start with the PSAT 8/9 in the spring of Eighth Grade , and PRACTICE the SAT as much as possible.  As she is undecided regarding college, I promise to do my best not to torture her.  But until she makes a decision, I wish her to be prepared for anything.

Recommendations:

  • Shop Local! – As a bookstore manager myself, I highly recommend shopping your local homeschool resource store.  They work really hard to be there for their homeschool families year round!  They may be connected to a local co-op or support group that can provide SAT and PSAT preparatory classes and seminars
  • Shop the publishers directly!  These publishers put much energy into creating great homeschool resources,  so I recommend shopping their web-sites:
  • By clicking links into Amazon Marketplace or College Prep Genius, I do earn a small commission based on your purchase.  It doesn’t change the listed price, it just supports my glorious book addiction and my new blog addiction.

Homeschooling for High School: Preparing |herdistribution.com

I recently published the following post on my commerce blog about preparing for College, and starting the process early.  Please click through to read.

High School planning should begin about the 7th or 8th grade.  As requirements for graduation are varied for each state, and college admissions are as varied as the colleges themselves, research and planning should begin early.

When your student is in the 7th or 8th grade, you will want to make decisions regarding whether your student will be going to Dual Credit classes, what classes you want to complete before graduation, and look at the pre-requisites and requirements for accomplishing your High School goals.

Source: Homeschooling for High School: Preparing |herdistribution.com

For the texashach4 family, I knew I wanted my oldest Logic Smart child to complete his Physics studies with a particular co-op teacher.  In order to do that, we made some decisions for his 8th and 9th grade year, so that he would be ready for dual credit his Junior year, and completed his Physics with Ms. Patti.  It was a bit grueling, but we completed our goals.

Secondly, although I had a copy of Kathleen Duncan’s Homeschool for High School (Seminar Notebook), and Jean Burk’s High School Prep Genius, I really liked the format and Biblical application of Glenda Durano’s Christian’s Guide to College Admissions.  It’s an excellent tool.

Shopping Recommendations:

  • Shop Local! – As a bookstore manager myself, I highly recommend shopping your local homeschool resource store.  They work really hard to be there for their homeschool families year round!  They can help you find the best curriculum for each of your children.   If you have trouble finding one in your area, let me know!
  • Shop the publishers directly!  These publishers put much energy into creating great homeschool resources,  so I recommend shopping their web-sites:
  • For the out-of-print, and hard to find pieces, I’m including Amazon pictures and links.  By clicking links into Amazon Marketplace, I do earn a small commission based on your purchase.  It doesn’t change the listed price, it just supports my glorious book addiction.

Thanks for visiting!  Please let me know what you think!