I'm excited to get started on next year, even though we're just barely finishing up this one (our last day of school is Monday - rewards day - but today is our last day of seatwork and testing)! Morgan is taking the Texas TAKS 3rd Grade Exam today at home (link in my sidebar if you want to print your own out). She's finishing 2nd Grade up right now, but I did the same thing for Kaden when he finished Second grade... and of course, it helps to give you an idea of what areas to work on. I still don't have results from Kaden's state tests back in April. Yeah, I had to show up on time by state order for him to test... but apparently, they have the entire SUMMER to get the results to you. It's a good thing I'm not starting school already like a lot of my friends.... or I wouldn't even know what his test scores were for last year until well into this coming school year!
Here's what our pencil-sketch of the next two years looks like:
2006-7 KONOS Unit Schedule
September 06
Ears, Sound, Music (Attentiveness Vol 1)
October 06
Eyes, Seeing, Other Senses, Predator & Prey (Attentiveness Vol 1)
November 06
Frontiersmen, Tracking & Trapping, Review of Indians (Attentiveness Vol 1)
December 06
Birds/Christmas Break (Attentiveness Vol 1)
January 07
Trust General Unit, Floating & Ships (Trust Vol 1)
February 07
Deception Illusion, Flight & Airplanes (Trust Vol 1)
March 07
Bread & Grain, Plants & Gardening (Patience Vol 1)
April 07
Plant and Animal Classification (Orderliness Vol 1)
May 07
Sequencing, Measuring & Construction (Vol 1 Orderliness)
June 07
Attributes of God, Pottery & Sculpture (Honor Vol 1)
SUMMER SCHOOL (only KONOS)...
July 07
Tabernacle/Reverent Behavior/Hymns (Honor Vol 1)
August 07
Cathedral and Church Architecture (Honor Vol 1)
2007-8 KONOS Unit Schedule
September 07
Bees, Family, Church & General (Cooperation - Vol 3)
October 07
Town & Community (Cooperation - Vol 3), Choices & Safety (Vol 2 Wisdom)
November 07
Country/Culture (pick a country), Kindness, Service & Etiquette (Vol 1 Honor)
December 07
Christmas Unit (Vol 2 - Love/Generosity)
January 08
Body Systems (Cooperation Vol 3), Body/Appetite/Emotions (Self Control Vol 2)
February 08
Human and Animal Birth and Growth (Patience Vol 1)
March 08
Begin States & Regions Unit (Cooperation Vol 2) - Texas History Month
April 08
Continue States & Regions.... (possibly add colonial & war of independence NE)
May 08
Continue States & Regions.... (possibly add civil war/Virginia & South)
June 08
Continue States & Regions.... (possibly add Explorers/Western States)
SUMMER SCHOOL (only KONOS)...
July 08
Continue States & Regions.... (possibly add arctic & ocean life/Alaska & Hawaii)
August 08
Continue States & Regions.... WRAP UP: USA STATES & REGIONS PARTY
Buzz Words: schedule, reading, school, learning, unit study, homeschool, homeschooling, education, back to school, parenting, children, plans, teacher, history, lessons, lesson plans, character, KONOS, elementary
8 comments:
Hi Sprittibee,
I usually give my third grader the Texas TAKS test too. But I just download it from the website and grade it myself. I don't turn it in but do it to see how the kids are faring. I was wondering why you do the official test and have it graded for you since you live in Texas. Is there some info I may be missing?
By the way, thanks for the traffic.
fondly,
linda
Linda,
We live in Arkansas presently. In this state, you are forced to do standardized testing (they administer the IOWA full battery - social studies and science included). Kaden, being a 3rd Grader this year, took that in April. They still have not returned the test results. :(
I do administer the TAKS here at home. I think the version we did this year was 2003 (I should have looked at the official website before printing from my other link, because I think they even have the 06 version out now). I print them and grade them myself. I just finished grading Morgan's today. She finished the test this morning. She was in second grade this year, so I thought she would fail at least the Math portion by a little. Turns out she passed it! She got a 90% on Math and a 97% on Reading. That puts her in the top 10 percent for all of Texas (and she's only a 2nd grader, not a third grader). In 3rd Grade, for 2003, the website shows that only 87% of Texas Students Tested passed the Math and 73% of Texas Students Tested passed the Reading. I think for a 2nd Grade kid, she really is doing well. Makes me not worry so much when I see them do this well on state tests (and we don't even teach towards their standards at all).
We do absolutely NO preperation for the tests, and I really have been surprised by how well they do. I can't wait to get Kaden's IOWA scores back this month. He's never taken one of those before. He has taken the SAT, CAT, IOWA, TAKS (or TAAS, not sure which), and the Otis-Lennon. The CAT was administered at home, but sent off for grading (at a cost) in his first year of homeschool - Kindergarten. The SAT (he took twice) was in private school, as well as the Otis-Lennon (his second year of Kindergarten). We did not test at the end of 1st Grade at home, but then took the TAAS or TAKS at the end of 2nd Grade (the 3rd Grade test). He did almost as well as his sister (aside from Math, which he only got a 67%). Of course, he was only a 2nd Grader then... so I completely expected he wouldn't pass the Math section when we had not covered half or more of the material yet.
When they say that homeschooled children normally outperform public schooled children, I have certainly seen that first hand.
By the way, you are welcome for the traffic - your site is exceptional, as well as your tips!
Love,
Sprittibee
Bev - you should email me and see if you can't make the trip down here to visit for our sight field trip. We've got a member who has a blind sister and she wants us to come to her house and see all her neat gadgets and how she gets around/does things. We are excited to meet her. Glad to know you picked Konos! :) You won't be sorry!
That sounds wonderful, Spirit!
My Boaz's Ruth - I hope so. I hope I can get through all of it without delay. I tend to take longer than recommended with rabbit trails and such. Working on becoming a "Unit Study Sprinter" as HeartsDesire at "Today at Our Homeschool" says. She and my other friend here in my co-op are fast KONOS users. I am one of the slowest. I am a KONOS SNAIL. So this year, I'm working on planning way ahead and speed!!! And I'm praying that we don't have as many financial boundaries as this year. ;)
I may add some Pirate study in the Ships/Floating unit... thought of that this morning. Would be a good year for it after we've been all gung-ho about Captain Jack Sparrow and his adventures.
Thanks Heather! I had done something similar for this year and next but had to scrap it when KONOS decided to have the virtual co-op! I am so excited to participate. We are a week behind the group since we were in Seattle Sept 2-9th but it is okay. The videos with Jessica teaching us are great. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to do KONOS and like me, needs that extra push to get started. My 3rd grader love the KONOS activities this week much better than our normal Abeka assignments. So I am cutting back on Abeka and leaning heavier on the KONOS for his learning activities.
Have a great day, sue in orlando
That's great, Sue. I am jealous about the virtual co-op. I would love to do that, just don't have the money. I am enjoying our little co-op this year, even if it did kind of fall apart (at least the weekly meetings part of it). We are doing a more laid back field-trip only approach which is also nice. I was happy to be on track for the most part and then unforseen events threw my week off today and yesterday... so we're back to being a few days behind everyone else. :(
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