Obstacles. We all have them in our lives. For some it is getting places on time. For others it might be race, gender or sexual preference. Bottom line is that obstacles affect all of our daily lives in some way. One thing I have come to understand about obstacles; it's not what they are that is important, it's how you handle them.
Today, Bella and I got some results on one obstacle we are facing together; success in school. As most of you know, I decided to homeschool Bella for 1/2 days to give her more repetition on subjects such as reading and math. At the end of last school year, we had Bella evaluated by a neuropsychologist. The results were tough to hear, but not really surprising. She was behind a little over a year in math and slightly behind in reading. There it was...a new obstacle for Bella to overcome. How could I best help her rise above her memory issues and get the skills and education she needed to become a successful adult? After some debating (with myself), I decided to delve into the world of homeschooling. I spent most of last summer researching books and curriculum's that would best fit Bella's needs. Fast forward a year later. Bella had her homeschool testing yesterday. In the state of Minnesota you have to have homeschooled children tested yearly by a qualified tester (not the parent) to see how the child is progressing.
The test she was given was the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. It is presented in a one on one setting and the test is given orally which we thought would be the best fit for Bella. Ironic as it seems, last year's neurological testing showed Bella to be more of an "auditory learner" than a "visual learner." I know, kind of crazy considering she is profoundly deaf without the implants!
Here are Bella's results:
Grade Equivalent
Reading Recognition: 3.2
Reading Comprehension 3.0
Math 3.5
Spelling 3.0
General Information K.9
The first number shows the grade and the second number shows the month. For example 3.0 would be this coming September for Bella since that is the month she will officially be in grade 3.
As you can see, she did score quite a bit behind in the General Information part of the test. This had a lot to do with her memory issues and her lack of recalling specific information when it hasn't been presented with a great deal of repetition. One example of a question from the general information category was "What is the name of the story that has a big bad wolf that huffs and puffs?" She remembered hearing the story, but could not remember the name, "The Three Little Pigs".
There was also a writing section to the test where she had to write a story after looking at a picture. She got a score of 8 out of 9!
Needless to say I was super excited with the results! It reinforced that homeschooling Bella for 1/2 of the day was and is the right decision. And (here comes the high fives to myself) I must be a pretty decent teacher!
Now, off to wonder what obstacles I will face next...
good job, your work will always matter for your daughter
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