The little things.

K- is currently outside with E-, playing in the bits of melting snow that we have.  The back yard is still fully blanketed, but won't be for much longer.  Tomorrow it is to be 45 F+ and that means a whole lotta notta snow.  That will make K- very sad.

Yesterday, K- brought home a pile of papers that made me cry and scoop her up and spin her around in the kitchen. 

My back didn't even beg to differ.

You see, K- was bombing reading tests before school let out for break.  When she got one D, we knew that she had strep that re-ran, had the antibiotics that wreaked havoc with her digestive system (still isn't quite back yet) and the kids start winding up for break.  The second time was not okay, then topped off by a D paper that week, K- could just color herself grounded 'cause it wasn't pretty.  She admitted that she was rushing, her teacher was frustrated by it and I was just flat mad.  To get D's because you don't understand the material would be one thing, but to get them because you aren't taking time is unacceptable.

All of the grounding taught K- that she might want to slow down.

And the poem that I wrote for her.

So, the papers came home in a giant stack.  We found out that on the last day of school before break, her teacher gave the children two major tests, sandwiched between a book giveaway, the Polar Express and hot chocolate and K-'s birthday. 

Can we all say, "Wow!"

I'm amazed that any child was able to keep up with that. 

The test results are as follows:  Math- 15/15!,  Unit Skills Test- 28/28, Spelling test (from the Friday of the week prior)- 15/15 +2 and the Reading test (taken on the same day as the spelling test)- 82% B-.  The math curriculum that the elementaries in the school district are forced to use gives the kids only 2 tests per grading period.  The tests are 50% of their grade.  They have a reading and spelling test each week.  Those, we have some extra padding for.  It's that whole math test that gets me all tweaked.  Given that K- was having some issues understanding the materials, I took every worksheet from that particular unit and made a practice test for home.  It had an obnoxious 48 questions, but I covered everything.  She took the test twice, and each time I had her go back and correct her mistakes. 

That test at home made all the difference and was well worth the hour and a half that it took me to write it. 

The reading was on a story that was rather difficult.  The reading subject was "The Life of Trees," and it spewed out so much misinformation that Hubs' head was spinning nearly off his body.  I told him to teach her the wrong stuff and then to re-program.  The test is largely multiple choice and if he corrected all that was wrong, she would get an F for sure.

We've re-instituted game time in the evenings.  After dinner, K- does a 10 minute tidy on her room.  She does whatever she can in 10 minutes, knowing that the next day she can do more.  After baths are done (and given that homework is complete), we get to play a game all together.  The last few nights have been Star Wars Trivial Pursuit.  Believe it or not, she is reading the cards pretty well!  Of course, I know nothing other than Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.  (Well, and that if K- was a boy, she would have most likely been an Ian Anakin.) 

For today, the grades are good.  We'll see what tomorrow brings, but K- is a pretty good student.  If she can only slow down and worry about just herself, we'll be in business!

Smiles in my day:
-  K- and E- enjoying the snow!

Have a great day!