Why I love a portfolio. . . or Portfolio Review vs. Standardized Test

A question I receive often is “Should I give my home educated student a standardized test at the end of the year, or complete a narrative portfolio assessment"  I usually reply it depends on what kind of information you hope to gain. One way to look at this question is to think “Do you want one picture of one moment in time, or a running movie with many pictures taken over time? “

A standardized test is a “snapshot “of a student at one moment in time.  A standardized test is scored in a consistent manner so you are able to compare your student to a group of students in the same grade who have taken the same test.  You usually receive a percentile ranking which tells you what percentage of the students taking the test your student scored better than.  For instance, if your student was in the 33rd percentile in math then your child scored better than 33 percent of students in the sample group from the publisher who took this test in math.

  

A standardized test is limited in that it is more likely to tell you what your student does not know versus what they do know or have learned this year.  A standardized test also dictates what the publisher feels is important for your student to know.  It does not take into account what your student has learned this past year.

A narrative portfolio assessment is a group of work samples that reflect your student’s growth and progress over the last year.   It consists of many “snapshots” that come together to reflect what your student has accomplished this year.  You, as parent educator, get to showcase what your student has accomplished.

Besides celebrating what your student has accomplished, a portfolio also helps you to plan instruction for the next year.   For instance, you realize you concentrated on learning your math facts, but did not spend as much time learning how to solve word problems.   Next year, you commit to working on more problem solving.  You look at your book list and notice that your student has mainly read adventure stories this past year.  You commit to introducing him/her to biographies, non-fiction, and /or some poetry next year to vary his/her reading diet.   I believe this is time well spent.  You are assessing your student’s needs and planning instruction based on those needs.

A narrative portfolio assessment also gives you a chance to present what your child has accomplished to a certified  teacher.  My hope is that when I review your student’s work I bring a different “set of eyes” to your student’s portfolio.   I try to provide encouragement to parents, insight into your student’s growth, and provide feedback to help you plan future instruction for your child.   My goal is to partner with you to celebrate your student’s accomplishments and encourage you on your home education journey.

Please click here to get started.  

Home Educating with Little Ones. . . . 10 year Anniversary!

I wrote this post back in 2015.  I can not believe how slow and how fast life has gone.  My youngest is now 13 and the 6 year-old mentioned in this post is in high school and thriving!   My newest encouragement is . . time does pass, and your kids do get older.  You can do this!  

I have homeschooled for the last 10 years and always have had a little one running around while I was trying to work with older kids.   When we started home educating I would read anything I could about how you home educate with little ones.  I actively sought magazines (remember this was awhile ago); and later looked at articles and blog posts on the subject.  I am not sure if I am all that good at it, but I have learned a few things that have been helpful along the way. Today I thought I would share what has been helpful organizationally, time-wise, and how I manage my days.  My thought is that maybe one of these ideas will help you.

Some things we have done:

I try to have a separate schedule for the little one in my master schedule.   I try to plan where they need to be in the house and what they should be doing while others are working.

I have invested in at least one computer curriculum for most of the school age kids.  If the school age child is working on the computer I can read, play a game, or just love on a little one.  

I try to have intentional video/streaming time for the little ones.  For me that means setting up a math lesson with an older child and telling them we will have 30 minutes to do a lesson and stay focused before the little one needs us again.  I also make a personal commitment to not be online or on the phone during this time.  I am amazed at what I can do in 30 minutes.

I try to train the little children to have some playpen time which later leads to playing by themselves in the family room.  I put the little one in the playpen/family room first thing in the morning.  That will usually give me 30-60 minutes until they start moving the playpen around the family room.  It also keeps them away from 3-5 year old's who tend to get in their face.

When setting up a schedule I will assign other children to entertain, read,  or play with a little one.  Up until 8th grade or so most students have time in their schedule for 20-30 minutes of play time with a little one.  I love how it teaches the older one to be patient, play directly with someone less competent then they are, gives them a meaningful break from work.  It usually helps both ways.

I set up a "school time" at the table with the little one with coloring books, small toys, or paper and crayons. They want to be like the big kids and do school.   I had to laugh when one of my children told me it was time for "math Jesus."  Apparently his bible coloring book qualified for this subject.

When my parents or others have asked what they can do to help, I invite them over to sit with a little one for a time and read books, play a game, or just hold and love on them.  It is good to ask for help.

I try to take breaks to just hold my little one, rock them, or read to them.  When I first started I was so worried about doing "the right thing" for the older kids doing school work I tended to not love on the little ones enough during the day.  If I can hold and rock someone for 5-15 minutes they are often fine after that and go back to playing.

What I have learned:

I have learned that no matter how great your schedule, how focused you are, or how great your plans  may be, sometimes how well things go depends on the temperament of the child.  Some kids are better at entertaining themselves, others need more training, and for some it is really hard and drastic measures must be taken.  My 6th child had to have each person in the family assigned to her for a 30 minute time slot to be with her.   We just to refer to that as "doing your time."

When I go into my day with a plan we are all better off.  If I can think of my little one as part of the learning schedule it helps all of us.  If I set aside a video, plan a story, know their snack, or set aside time for them we all have a better day.

It is never too late to start again.  I also try to give myself grace.  Home Educating is a hard job and adding a little one or two to the mix is not easy.  But I try to see it as a challenge that can be overcome, and not to take the bad days too personally.  Tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes as Anne Shirley says.

Lastly, the little one will grow up, and things will get better.  My 6th child is now learning to read.  I honestly was not sure if she would make it through her 2s, 3s, 4s, or 5s.  (currently I am not sure if I will make it through her 6s.)  But each time she has and she continues to get better.  I figure she will use her negotiations skills one day to become a CEO.  I try to nurture her skills, hold her more, and remember that before I know it she will be in high school. (Please note that this is on a good day.  The other days I whine to my husband.)

I hope these help.  Please add any ideas you have in the comments.  I am still reading those online articles on how to home educate with little ones.  I would love to hear your tips!

Thanks for going back in time with me!  Hoping you are hanging in there.  Remember I am also happy to meet with you to brainstorm some ways to help you with your homeschool days!  

Atlas of Dogs & Atlas of Cats by Lonely Planet Kids.

Comet is sitting so nicely between the Atlas of Cats book & Atlas of Dogs written by Frances Evans and illustrated by Kelsey Heaton published with Lonely Planet Kids.  These are both gorgeously illustrated books and so well written.   The books are divided up into locations in the world and share about cats and dogs in each of these locations.  

Comet was more impressed to learn about dogs.  

These are gorgeous books with engaging illustrations, and are designed for grades 1-3.  But I think if you have a child very interested in cats or dogs you could easily extend that  to 4th grade.  Your preschooler-Kindergartner would enjoy having the books read aloud to them.  

I also appreciate that the books are a great way to teach about book indexes, table of contents, and that you are able to skip around in certain non-fiction books to retrieve the information that you would like to know.  .  

As an adult I enjoyed reading and learning more about  cats and dogs. My world was expanded!  

These are fantastic books that I highly recommend!   Comet believes they will be a good addition your home library.  

I was given a copy and not required to write a positive review.    

Guest Post: McKibben and Monte Speech Therapy

 

NOTE:  I have a guest post today.  When we were looking for speech therapy for one of my students I did not know where to turn.  This looks like a great option for families.  

McKibben and Monte is committed to providing immediate access to exceptional speech and occupational therapy services to children across Ohio, Kentucky and Florida. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by homeschooling families and those in rural communities, we are dedicated to making our specialized and personalized services accessible to all, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Our team of licensed speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists specialize not only in early intervention but services for children K-6 focusing on areas such as speech and language development, social and emotional regulation, behavior modification, fine motor skills, and feeding skills. Research indicates that well-developed skills in these areas significantly impact a child's ability to become a competent reader, writer, and student. At McKibben and Monte, our early intervention programs aim to address the needs of the whole child, ensuring they are "kindergarten ready."

We understand that homeschooling families and those in rural areas may face limited access to specialized therapy services. To bridge this gap, McKibben and Monte offers telehealth speech therapy services, allowing children to receive personalized therapy sessions from the comfort of their homes. This approach ensures that distance and location are no longer barriers to accessing high-quality therapy.

In addition to telehealth options, we are actively seeking partnerships with daycares, preschools, and educational cooperatives throughout Ohio, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton, as well as in Northern Kentucky and Tampa, Florida. By collaborating with local organizations, we aim to extend our reach and provide in-person services to communities that may benefit from our expertise.

At McKibben and Monte, our mission is to empower every child with the skills they need to succeed. We invite homeschooling families and rural communities to explore our services and discover how we can support their children's developmental journey. For more information or to inquire about partnerships, please visit our website or contact us directly at info@mckibbenandmonte.com.

Pictures used with paid license from Lightstock.