GRACE homeschool group offers many resources/activities/supports for it's members. Most of the activities will be listed in GRACE's monthly newsletter. If you are not currently a member of GRACE but would like to visit, meet some members, and see if GRACE would be a good homeschool support group for you, come join us on one of our Friday Park Days. E-mail our GRACE Contact Person to find out which park we are at on any given Friday.

• Testing With Grace

  GRACE offers anual testing for it's members to help them meet the NC State requirements for testing.

  Why Do We Offer Annual Testing

  Annual testing is a legal requirement of the state of North Carolina. GRACE offers the IOWA Standardized Achievement Test for its members as well as any other homeschool family who needs this service. Our members are not required to test with GRACE, as there are other options available through testing services or in-home programs.

• Testing Policy

  Why a Testing Policy

  • All children testing with GRACE should have an equal opportunity for success in what is a stressful environment for some of them.
  • We are required to follow all the guidelines set forth by the publisher and distributor of the test.
  • We must consider how our group presents itself to the facility we are using, and ensure that our presence is uplifting, rather than a burden.

  Testing Policy

  • The state regulations require testing for children age 7 and over. Because of our limited resources, we will not offer testing services for children who will not be at least 7 by the end of the school year.
  • All GRACE member families who test with the group are required to provide one family member to assist with testing. (This help may include: being a testing proctor or assistant, helping with set-up and clean-up, child-care, helping on extra days to test children who were sick., providing snacks, etc.)
  • All families who are not members of GRACE are required to provide one family member to assist with testing, as well as pay a non-member testing fee. (This fee, in its entirety, will be included in a love offering to the facilities we use on a regular basis).
  • Test Proctors (the lead teacher in each classroom) are required to have a 4-yr college degree.
  • Everyone wanting to test with GRACE must be registered by the Deadline.
  • Children must be able to be in a classroom setting without a parent present.
  • Children must be able to follow the instructions of the Testing Proctor.
  • If any child has been sick and needs to be tested after our scheduled days, the family will be responsible for any extra costs associated with the testing, such as childcare for the proctor.
  • Any child who displays conduct or behavioral problems will be asked to leave. That family will then need to find another option for testing the child.

  Beyond the Policy

  The homeschool environment is very different from the testing environment for most children. By our nature, homeschoolers do not regularly take tests, especially “fill-in-the-circle” tests. We tend to be more concerned with the quality of our children’s work, rather than placing them under time constraints. Also although the children tend to be more broadly skilled in social environments and often in academics in general; they have less experience in classroom situations than their other-schooled peers. Lastly, because testing is a legal requirement, some families feel significant stress to perform well on these standardized tests.

  Help your children to feel comfortable. There are practice tests available which cover each category of the IOWA. There are also practice tests which teach test-taking skills such as good-guessing and pacing oneself. Realize that there is no performance requirement for these tests, only that the tests be taken. Be sure your children understand that no matter how they perform on these tests, their freedom to homeschool will not be taken away, and you will still love them. Lastly, prepare them physically. They need a good night’s sleep before each day of the test, and a good, healthy breakfast to start the day.

• Test Taking Tips

  Test Taking Tips

  by Holly Scheppegrell

  • Don’t stress your child out.
  • Follow all that advice that you have always heard. Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep. Get up with plenty of time to get ready, so your morning is not overly rushed. Make sure your child eats a good breakfast, preferably with some protein.
  • It is best to have prepared your child with a practice test. Make sure your child understands:
    • how to “color in the circle.”
    • that the proctor CANNOT explain the directions further.
    • to keep on the right line. (Does she need a ruler to help?)
    • to check every time she turns a page, to make sure she is in the right section and right problem number.
    • to manage her time. (Would bringing a watch help or hinder?)
  • The other important point here is to be sure you and your child understands your objectives in taking the test. Explain that it is a state requirement. Let him know what your expectations are for him. I try to keep the tone light, yet let them know that I expect their best effort. For my younger child, I usually say something to the effect of, “this test helps Mom choose the best school books for you next year.”
  • For the test to be useful as a diagnostic tool, encourage your child to make only educated guesses.
  • An educated guess is when he can confidently eliminate 2 of the 4 answers. At that point, he still doesn’t exactly know the answer, but it has to be one of the two left. NOW, GUESS. If you child cannot eliminate any answers or has no idea what the question is asking for, please encourage him to LEAVE IT BLANK. Random guessing can actually adversely affect your child’s score. We see this in the Math section. It is much better for your child to attempt fewer problems and get them mostly correct than to randomly answer in an attempt to have every answer filled and consequently get a lot incorrect.
  • Take the results with a grain of salt. When you receive the test results, sit down and take a deep breat and RELAX. This test is just a snapshot in your child’s entire photo album. You know what level of work your child performs every day. You know what your child’s God-given gifts and abilities are. Take all this into account when you review the results.
  • You will receive a sheet from BJU that explains some of the testing terminology. The biggies are “national percentile rank”, “stanine”, and “grade equivalent”.
    • National percentile rank (NPR) – This does not refer to how many your child got correct, but to how they rank within their age/grade group.
    • Nationally-normed tests, such as the Iowa, use the traditional bell curve. This means that fully 54% of the children tested fall in the “average” range or the 23% to 76% of the NPR. This is average. A picture is worth a thousand words and there will be a picture of this in your results explanation page. So, the advice here is to not freak out if your child gets 50%. This just means that he was exactly in the middle of the group – 49 kids scored higher and 49 kids scored lower. It is o.k. to fall in the average range, and honestly, it stands to reason, statistically, that is where half of the GRACE kids will fall.
    • Stanine (NS) – This is closely related to the NPR. The top group (4% of the children nation-wide) who score in the 95% and over NPR will be labeled NS 9. And so forth on down the line. Again, statistically, half of the kids will fall in NS 4,5,and 6 – the average of the group.
    • Grade Equivalent (GE) – This does NOT mean what grade level your child is working at. If your child is in fourth grade and scored a GE of 5.2 in math, this means she scored as many correct as a typical early fifth grader. This score is most useful to identify trends.
  • What does this mean? How do you evaluate?
    • Look at trends over the years. It is very important to stay with the same test and testing at approximately the same time of year. You can review the results from year to year and see how your child is progressing. You should see that the NS is roughly the same and that the GE is increasing with each year. If you want to get really ambitious, graph the GE out. Make the left hand measure the GE. Make the bottom line measure the tests: vocabulary, comprehension, language, spelling, etc. And then use a different color to show the results from each year. You should be seeing steady, gradual progress.
• Testing Options

  Testing Options

  For those of you who do not wish to test using the IOWA in a group setting, here are some options. Note that this is NOT intended to be an exhaustive study, NOR is it intended to imply endorsement of any service. We are just being helpful in providing some information which is known to us. Testing options - You have four main options: CAT, Iowa, Stanford, and Woodcock-Johnson. There is also a test know as PASS, but we currently have no information about it.

  If you are just testing to satisfy the state, a recommendation would be to go with the CAT. It is quick (could be done in one long day) and easy to administer, no special qualifications needed.

  If you are looking more for quality and comparative info, a recommendation would be either Stanford or Iowa. You can easily administer the Iowa on your own if you have a degree. Stanford requires a qualified proctor, so unless you know someone off hand, this would be the harder option here.

  If your child has any special needs, one recommendation would be the Stanford, administered by an experienced tester in a semi-private setting (1-4 children in each group), available at one of the private Christian schools such as Carmel Christian. The administrator comes around in March or April (whatever the school spring break is) and does everything. You drop off and go. It is rather expensive, with an estimate being about $60. But, it is very thorough and the administrator of the test sits down with you and reviews in detail the results.

  Another option for special needs is the Woodcock-Johnson. It is VERY thorough and goes through each category (say, vocabulary) until your child misses a question. So you get a very detailed and exact (as exact as a standard test can be) description of your child. It is a good test for a child that has uneven abilities - say very high math, very low verbal/writing skills. Alternately, it can be very exhausting for a bright child - you have to keep answering questions. A lot of it is done orally (which could be a plus). It is also very expensive since it is administered one-on-one (about $100).

  The following organizations provide testing services for home school students:

  Bayside School Services
  PO Box 250; Kill Devil Hills NC 27948
  telephone: 1-800-723-3057
  email: ballfam@interpath.com
  

  Homeschooling parents who are also suppliers of the California Achievement Test (CAT) and the Terra Nova. Please be advised that the Terra Nova has been designed to reflect the standards-based education that is currently being taught in our public schools. Parental certification is not necessary to purchase either test.

  Bob Jones University Press
  Testing and Evaluation Service
  Greenville SC 29614
  telephone: 1-800-845-5731

  Supplier of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT).

  Christian Liberty Academy
  502 West Euclid Avenue
  Arlington Heights IL 60004
  telephone: 1-847-259-8736

  Supplier of the California Achievement Test (CAT) - 1970 version. Parental certification not necessary.

  Thurber's Educational Assessments
  400 Clayton Road; Chapel Hill NC 27514
  telephone: 1-919-967-5782
  email: thurbersnc@aol.com

  Supplier of the California Achievement Test (CAT). Parental certification not necessary. Group rates.

• Learning Styles

  Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The secret of education is respecting the pupil." Part of respecting the 'pupil' is understanding them; learning their strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, the way they learn... their 'style'.

  Think of how frustrating it is when someone wants you to understand something, but they don't take time to explain it in a way you understand. Our children can get frustrated when we expect them to learn, but aren't communicating in a manner they can grasp.

  

  Each of us is unique; God created us that way, so we can't all be expected to think, learn and process information in the same way. There are many different studies, tests, and philosophies of learning that discuss various aspects of learning. The bottom line though, boils down to the fact that we are all unique individuals, with a myriad of different ways we learn. In teaching, our goal is to learn our child's 'style' and encourage them in their strengths, help them in their weaknesses and develop them into the person God created them to be.

  As we seek to understand how our child/children learn, it helps to have an understanding of some of the different philosophies of learning. One way of understanding learning is 'how do we best take in information?'. The auditory/visual/kinesthetic approach says that most of us will learn best in one or a combination of these styles.

  When children are young, most will be kinesthetic learning, they want to touch, feel, experience, the world around them. As they grow they can continue to be kinesthetic learners, which means they will learn best by doing and experiencing, others will develop into more auditory or visual learning. The auditory learner will learn best when they hear what they need to learn and the visual needs to see it.

  Beyond this though are many varied ways people learn. Think about it, do you learn best by reading, having someone explain? Do you need to take notes as you read or listen? Do you learn best in a quiet place or in a busy, noisy place? Do you learn best sitting up straight at a table, lying on the floor, sitting under a tree outside? Watch your child, how does he/she seem to learn best?

  Processing information involves how we take in information, how we file it, and then how we use it. I always thought it was interesting how one of my daughters liked to have the 'big' picture first, then the details would fall into place. She could make the jumps from the steps almost intuitively once she understood the whole. On the other hand, my other daughter didn't want to know the whole, she wanted the steps. She liked to know how to get from step one to step two. If I tried to show her the large picture, I would just end up frustrating her, whereas my other daughter would get frustrated by the steps if she didn't 'see' the large picture first.

  The way we learn effects the way we teach. We tend to expect our children to learn in the same way we do. If we were in a classroom situation with 20 to 30+ children it would be hard to give each child individual attention and to attempt to learn his or her unique strengths and abilities as well as weaknesses and disabilities. Our situation is different though, thankfully. We have the opportunity to get to know our students style and not only that, we have the joy of getting to know our child/children and see them flourish in an environment that supports their uniqueness and cherishes their God given strengths as well as their God given weaknesses.

  There are many sources and resources out there to help you determine yours and your child's learning style. Do a search on the internet or go to the library and check out some books that will help you understand some of the various philosophies. Most importantly though, take the time to respect your student, learn his/her style, and watch them florish.

• Teaching Styles

  As I was preparing to write about teaching styles, I was thinking about how homeschoolers teach and wondering what kind of information would be useful. In my thoughts, teaching styles, learning styles and curriculum choices were overlapping. Our learning styles and curriculum choices help us determine how we teach, or so I thought, so it was hard to figure out what to say unique about teaching styles.

  After a bit of research, I found that regardless of which curriculum we use, we each have a method of teaching, a philosophy of education, a view of how and what our children should learn and a style that is unique to us. Thus, despite the fact that we teach in a different environment than most teachers, the ‘classical’ definitions and information about teaching styles are still relevant.

  Reading about the various styles, made me think about my teaching style and I realized it varies from subject to subject, child to child, as well as environment and audience. As you look at some of the definitions and styles below, remember, your style will and should vary and it may not be the best one for your child. You may have to adapt to another style. Hopefully by learning the different methods that can be employed in teaching, we can become more competent and flexible teachers.

  One of the sites I found on learning, discusses five different styles of teaching.

  • Direct Instruction
  • Indirect Instruction
  • Discussion
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Self-Directed Learning

  These styles deal with the way we interact with our students. Do we lecture (direct instruction), do we give some information then expect the student to continue the process (indirect method), do we discuss or allow discussion to occur, do we let our children work together to research and explore a subject, or do we allow self-directed learning where the student learns, researches, etc on his own? Hopefully, to allow the most benefit to our child(ren), we use a combination and consider how they play a part in their learning ability/processes.

  Teaching Style/Learning Hierarchy

  One school of thought in learning is Blooms Hierarchy of Learning. Bloom breaks learning into three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Each of these domains addresses a different aspect of the child's learning. While I believe we need to be teaching the 'whole' child, I will focus only on the intellectual/cognitive domain for now.

  The Cognitive Domain deals with the way we take in and process information, our intellectual ability. Understanding these are critical to teaching style, because we want to make sure we are teaching so the child will develop in all of the following areas:

  Knowledge

  recall of data

  Comprehension

  understanding information

  Application

  applying knowledge to a new situation

  Analysis

  separates information into parts for better understanding

  Synthesis

  builds a pattern from diverse elements

  Evaluation

  judges the value of information

  The above list was taken from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/BloomsLD/ but is in the reverse order, usually Blooms hierarchy is read from the bottom up with the most complex skill listed at the top, I listed it from the simplest to the most complex.

  Your child can develop in all these abilities from your teaching with any of the styles listed above, but some are more conducive than others towards the various intellectual abilities. As you use the direct method of teaching, lecturing and informing the student, he/she will learn to recall and understand. With the indirect method, you will be helping them apply knowledge they have to new situations. By discussing and working in cooperative groups, they learn to analyze information, and come up with questions, independent thoughts and ideas (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). Through self-directed learning they learn to put all of their learning abilities to use in a constructive manner.

• Teaching Styles Continued

  Off subject a bit, but relevant...

  When I was taking classes on education at FSU and UNC Charlotte, one thing that was discussed was the value of teaching children to think. One professor lectured that when we teach children to answer questions, fill in the blanks, and succeed in tests, we are teaching them to answer questions, fill in blanks, and be good test takers, but we are not teaching them to think. After the class, it was interesting to listen to the students comments on the lecture, most were 'what in the world was he talking about.' As homeschool parents, we have the unique opportunity and responsibility to make sure we are raising thinkers, not just children who know how to give the right answer.

  The other thing I heard discussed was the lack of writing assignments given to a child. There is a quote I like, though I'm not sure who it is by, that says 'When I write, I learn.' I think this is true, but there is more to it. Writing makes a student formulate ideas, think through and logically order information, it helps them remember what they have learned, and can do much more if the student is challenged to write a variety of types of writing. Writing can take us from the lowest form of learning, the basic knowledge about a subject, to understanding, applying, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. It can do this because it requires thinking about the subject and coming up with ways to express oneself. But, what if your child hates to write?

  Homeschooling offers many answers for this too. Since we have so few to teach, we can take time to listen and discuss issues, topics, subjects and so on, with each of our children individually or in a group. Computers offer the ability to write without having to use a pen to do so, and tape recorders can be used to tape thoughts and ideas when we don't have time to sit and listen at the moment. The idea here is to get the child to think about what he is learning, to be able to express him/herself in a logical, concise manner, to be able to rationalize their thought process, and to push them into deeper thinking skills and abilities.

• Curriculum Styles

  Do you have a philosophy of curriculum? Hitler did. The Communist did when they were taking over Russia after Tsar Nicholas was killed. Hitler knew to start young, to immerse his pupils in his philosophies, and he knew once he did this they were his. The communist didn’t start with the young; they started with propaganda, movie trains that would go from town to town, using the media to persuade the peasants, to teach the peasants, their ways.

  A recent movie was about how a man took over Europe following several world catastrophes. He was able to manipulate the people because they were uneducated, they forgot their history, their roots, the lessons from the past, and in ignorance, they were willing to be led.

  We see this today, people, willing to follow, in their ignorance, a strong leader, even to their death. Look at Jim Jones and David Koresh.

  It is crucial that we have a philosophy of curriculum, not just a style, but a realization that we are to train up our child in the way he should go (paraphrased a bit). This is not the way we think they should go, nor the way society says they should go, but in THE way they should go. But what is THE way they should go? As I was reading about education/curriculum philosophies around the world, one key point I found interesting were the views that you are not teaching a subject but a person and a person’s education should address the whole child, not just the 3 R’s.

  In Japan, the children compete to get into the better schools, they then walk to school, greet their teacher with a bow, then get down to lessons. At lunch the students help serve one another, then after lunch there is a scheduled time for cleaning the school. The teachers and students work together, sweeping, mopping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms, etc. You see with this that the teacher is respected as a leader and yet is someone who will get their hands dirty right along with the student. Through the respect and working side by side all take pride in their school.

  Other parts of their curriculum include homemaking, values/morals, nationalism, calligraphy and arts and crafts. They emphasis the thought process more than the correct answer and encourage exploration and thinking. Their curriculum expresses what they value, the philosophies of their people, and the training of the whole child verses the training of subjects.

  In an article written by an Islamic Muslim about the education system in his country, the author criticizes the current system for not teachinng the whole child. He states that their curriculum was based off Western World philosophies and yet is missing a crucial point, the 'core' curriculum. He goes on to say that the Islamic schools should have a curriculum which espouses the values of the Islamic religion. He says:

  Knowledge, subject matters, or courses offered in the curriculum must be free from secular and Westernized elements that are alien to Islam. These elements - dualism, humanism, secularism, and tragedy - which are peculiarly Western and anti Islamic, must be isolated from our curriculum, then replaced with the Islamic worldview of tawhid (Oness of Allah). The curriculum should reinforce the following Islamic concepts:

  1. The Islamic view of the Creator (tawhid, iman or faith, and God's attributes);
  2. The creation of man and his purpose, namely, to worship Allah, to be His khalifah, to promote good and forbid evil, and to spread the message of Islam;
  3. Man's relationship with the Creator, that is, his consciousness of Allah, accountability to Allah, to do good deeds, to worship and supplicate;
  4. Man's relationship with others, which is to establish justice, to have respect for life, property, and dignity, to develop sound akhlaq (character traits), and to show religious tolerance;
  5. Man's relationship with the environment which emphasizes his role as God's vicegerent, to work with harmony with all of Allah's creations, and to recognize or discover Allah through his creation;
  6. Self-development, which provides room for self reformation and learning from past mistakes;
  7. Man's destination, that is, to promote accountability by evaluating our role, understanding the Last Day and the Hereafter and their implications; and
  8. Development of an Islamic ethos so as to create an environment conducive to Islamic practice.

  Taken from: http://www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2004/12/article02e.shtml

  
  

  We see from the above examples, ways in which philosophies in education affect what and how curriculum choices are made. In Japan, they want the moral instruction to infiltrate all subjects, for the Muslim, it’s the religious training. What is it for you?

• Curriculum Styles Continued

  As a Christian, I believe we are to look to the Bible for wisdom in deciding on a course of study for our children. When Solomon was told he would be the new leader of Israel, God asked him what he wanted and Solomon wanted wisdom to rule the people. (2Chronicles 1:7-10) As we seek to develop our philosophy of education/curriculum, we need to prayerfully seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding from God first.

  Following are some helpful Bible verses:

  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

  Prov. 1:7

  Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

  Prov. 16:3

  And you shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.

  Deut. 6:9; 11:20
  

  And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" this is the great and foremost commandment, the second is like it, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

  Matt. 22:37-40

  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

  Micah 6:8

  The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

  Zephaniah 3:17

• GRACE Reimbursement Form