Easy Test Maker

Just found a great online test maker. I used it to make Brittany's vocabulary test. I have to tell ya, I haven't been big on giving Brittany tests up until this year (except for spelling tests). I didn't really see the point; I knew exactly how well she was doing. I have given her a few open-book in the past, but no other kinds. This year, I realized I needed to get her ready for high school. She took a short answer test about a month ago and did great - a 96%. Tomorrow she has a vocabulary test. I was just about to get started making it on MS Word when I decided to search online. The first site I found, Easy Test Maker, is great! I just made her a 50 question test. 25 Multiple choice, 23 matching and 2 short answer. It was quick, it was easy and it saves it for me! (did I mention it was free???) I highly recommend it!

I'm not sure how well Brittany will like it...I'll let ya know. ;-)

Quick Book Review

I recently read Homeschooling Take a Deep Breath - You Can Do This! by Terrie Lynn Bittner. I have meant to review the book, but have been really busy and have not taken the time. Of course, now the book is overdue at the library, so I am going to write a really quick review before I jump in my car and take it back.

I really enjoyed this book even though it was geared more towards the new homeschooler. However, although I have homeschooled for 8 years, I still learned many things and found myself nodding in agreement at many of her points.

I like this quote:
"Remember that your hardest job isn't teaching your chldren, it's parenting them. If you have done a good job of parenting, teaching is already a part of your day. Any good parent is naturally a good teacher."

I think that is true in more ways than one. If you have diligently parented your children and taught them the ways of your household, it will also be easier to teach them. If your children already know that you don't like to be interrupted, and won't interrupt you under threat of (I can't think of anything funny here that won't sound like child abuse, so you fill it in) it makes it so much easier when you are explaining their lesson. If you have already worked with your children about staying on task in their everyday life, staying on their schoolwork will be easier too! (I say this as pure hypothesis because my children, ahem, some of my children, are not good at either of those things. YET. We are working on it)

I have never kept a homeschool journal. I never really saw the need for one and frankly, thought it would be one more thing to try to remember every day. However, I love her idea of using the journal as sort of an accountability partner. (my word, not hers) By writing in your journal what went right and what went wrong (she has a rule that you always need to have more rights, though) you have a quick overview of the day and you can seek to make changes. She has you circle the one thing that went the worst and try to troubleshoot that area. I love that idea! I have downloaded a journal onto my palm pilot for just such a purpose. I think it will be great to see the successes and get ideas for how to make things better on a daily basis.

Anyway, for those of you that feel the need to read EVERY homeschooling book out there (like me) I would highly recommend this one. I skimmed parts of it where I felt I did not need any ideas (although I still learned some great things from those parts as well) and other parts I hung on every word and even took notes. :-)

Now I'm jumping in my car....

Homeschooling at the Speed of Life

I got a new book yesterday at Mardel's. It's called Homeschooling at the Speed of Life and it is by Marilyn Rockett. I have to admit, the first thing that got my attention was the cover...check it out!

I wish THAT was my blogger background! (but I just can't ignore those pesky little things like copyright and trademarks)

I was blindsided by the book because I usually know about ALL the homeschooling books as soon as they come out. (don't I sound like I am in the know? ROFL) I saw this on the shelf and picked it up, leafed through it and put it down. Then I went back to it, picked it up, leafed through it and put it down. Then I went back again. I kept rationalizing with myself that I have a TON of homeschool books, that I don't need ANY more books, that I usually check a book out or borrow it before buying it, on and on my excuses went. But I couldn't put it down.

The funny thing is, right before we left the house yesterday I got a check in the mail from an old life insurance policy that I had just cancelled. The check was only for $20, I assume it was for the last month I paid and I probably cancelled at the right time to get a refund. Anyway, I had this knowledge of 20 bucks burning a hole in my pocket. And I had a new book in my hand that I couldn't walk away from. It was a marriage made in heaven. :-)

I looked over the book last night and it looks FANTASTIC! I have only gotten to chapter 2, but I have already found a ton that I want to go back and underline. This is my favorite thing so far, her definition of organization:

Organization is making your life work for you
by bringing the dailiness of life under control
through yielding of the Holy Spirit
concerning the wise use of your time.

I will post more as I read the book. (oh, and as a bonus, it comes with a CD with lots of cool forms. Well, I assume they are cool. I haven't looked at them yet. But I know there are lots.)