How do you know you are doing a good job HS'ing?

[m0mmaBuck]

I am at the point where I need to evaluate our time and decide if we want to continue HS'ing next year. How do you know you are effective? Do you use annual test scores? Do you try to gauge by PS/private school standards? Do you go off emotion? How do you know?

[Alenee]

There have been times where I wondered if we were getting anywhere but that was usually mid-year and a week of bad days. The clouds would clear though and I would see the progress. One particular curriculum always made me feel this way because it's intended to be used for at least five years.

 

Here are some practical ways I see growth:

-Finishing curricula with understanding of all concepts

-Test scores from tests I administer throughout the year

-More intense literature assignments

-Assigning projects I couldn't assign previously

-Usefulness around the house;)

-And not that it matters much (always nice though) ; others comment on our children's progress

 

In large part though, our gauge has nothing to do with those things. The Lord led us to it. We know we will have bad days. We see the blessings year after year. We trust that He brought us to it and will carry us through it! Some call that emotion...others see it as the Truth that it IS.

[cdrumm4448]

We see the blessings year after year. We trust that He brought us to it and will carry us through it! Some call that emotion...others see it as the Truth that it IS.

 

Wow. That really spoke to me. I also have days where I wonder (briefly) how we're doing. Then something happens to let me know. I've been really trying to listen more. To my kids, my husband, the people around me, and God's voce in my head and heart. It really helps.

[Just Robyn]

My children are all young (4, 6, 8) so currently I just take note of their reading and math abilities. Improvement in those areas is easy to see at this point. I would think improvement in math will continue to be easy to see for... ever? Also, having finished one level of a curriculum and the ability to start the next level.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I am at the point where I need to evaluate our time and decide if we want to continue HS'ing next year. How do you know you are effective? Do you use annual test scores? Do you try to gauge by PS/private school standards? Do you go off emotion? How do you know?

 

We test yearly and I do use the scores to show me their weak points and their strong points. They have to score a 4 stanine according to the state to make sufficient progress.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I look at a couple of things -

 

1. Are they happy?

 

2. Are they challenged?

 

3. Are they learning?

 

We do test annually from 3rd grade on up and the scores do reassure me somewhat.

 

I am also reassured by seeing that they did make progress from the start of the year to the end.

 

I don't usually use the public school standards simply because their curricula and sometimes even the order in which they do things is different. So I look to see if my children have progressed within the curriculum that we've chosen. I'm already confident in the choice of materials because I did my research on this board first.

[gpsings]

There have been times where I wondered if we were getting anywhere but that was usually mid-year and a week of bad days. The clouds would clear though and I would see the progress. One particular curriculum always made me feel this way because it's intended to be used for at least five years.

 

Here are some practical ways I see growth:

-Finishing curricula with understanding of all concepts

-Test scores from tests I administer throughout the year

-More intense literature assignments

-Assigning projects I couldn't assign previously

-Usefulness around the house;)

-And not that it matters much (always nice though) ; others comment on our children's progress

 

In large part though, our gauge has nothing to do with those things. The Lord led us to it. We know we will have bad days. We see the blessings year after year. We trust that He brought us to it and will carry us through it! Some call that emotion...others see it as the Truth that it IS.

 

This is the best answer. If you know the Lord called you to it, and you know you are doing your best, then rest in Him that it will come together. I think most of us are always looking for ways to grow and learn. ;)

[m0mmaBuck]

Well, we weren't called to HS. We are homeschooling because it was the only good choice for DS given the state of our PS system and the cost of private school. We could have afforded to send him to private school but once DD was old enough for school there was no way we could have sent both. What would we do? Choose the child with the most promise and send them to private school? Anyway...

 

I know he knows more than he did in January. I just don't know if he knows enough more to justify the choice. Would he be at the same point if we had left him in PS? I know there's no way to know what the alternate reality would have brought, but I have to wonder. Maybe the assessment on Friday will give me some clarity.

[Remudamom]

I wasn't sure until ds1 was accepted into a private college that only accepts 50 students a year, and dd1 began college at 16, and has a 3.9 gpa.

 

I knew they were having fun and happy and learning something.............but I worried until college anyhow. Two down, three to go.

[m0mmaBuck]

I wasn't sure until ds1 was accepted into a private college that only accepts 50 students a year, and dd1 began college at 16, and has a 3.9 gpa.

 

I knew they were having fun and happy and learning something.............but I worried until college anyhow. Two down, three to go.

 

I don't think I can wait that long! You have a lot more patience than I!

[6packofun]

I don't think I can wait that long! You have a lot more patience than I!

 

And you know what? If one is waiting to measure success on acceptance to a specific college or a grade point average or test scores, one is missing some (much?) of the point, IMO.

 

No one can tell YOU what yardstick(s) by which you'll measure your ongoing success. Your goals for homeschooling are going to be different, even extremely different, from those of another family. Be unique. Give them a unique education. :) But being unique and not giving a cookie cutter education may NOT be important to you! lol See what I mean? :lol:

[NanceXToo]

Well. Here in PA, we have to hire an evaluator at the end of each school year. S/he looks over the child's portfolio (samples of their work) and determines if they think an appropriate education is being received. When my evaluator looks at our work and comments positively and hands me that letter, I know I'm doing a good job.

 

In certain grades, we are required to do standardized testing. If my child is doing reasonably well on those tests (though I do not by any means see standardized testing as the be all end all to these things), I know I'm doing a good job.

 

If I can see my child demonstrating that she is learning, in the things she says or does or reads, regardless of whether she is learning the same thing at the same time as the kids in public school are, I know I'm doing a good job.

 

When I read in the newspaper about how the standardized test results came out for all of our area school districts and almost all of them across the board are below average, I know I'm doing a good job.

 

When we have fun, enjoy each other's company, enjoy learning, have time to enjoy our own pursuits and interests, have time together as a family, follow our own schedule, and my child has plenty of time to BE a child, I know I'm doing a good job.

 

When I hear my daughter tell people that she's glad she's homeschooled, that homeschooling is fun, that she gets to do lots of cool things, I know I'm doing a good job.

 

My daughter went to public school from K through most of 3. There were many, many things I didn't like about it. I pulled her out and homeschooled for the rest of 3rd grade, all of 4th, and I'm looking forward to 5th. As of now, I have no doubts about whether it is going well. It IS going well. And I have no regrets, other than "I wish I'd started homeschooling sooner."

 

At least I won't make that mistake with my son. He'll be home with me and homeschooled right from the beginning.

 

:)

[Embassy]

I know when I hear my children talk about something they learned over a year ago. Why? Because what they cover in school sticks. It isn't about passing a test or getting a good grade. It is about soaking up information until it has a permanent place in the brain.