National Latin Exam Results

We got the National Latin Exam test results back-- There were 148,000 kids from all 50 states and 13 different countries who took it. There were 40 questions, the average was 28. #1 scored 23 and got a certificate of merit and #2 scored 30 and got a cum laude certificate. We had hoped they'd do a little better, but it is a great start and they have learned a lot and they are on a great path for academic success. We are very proud of them both!!

This is definitely not the end of Latin-- it is just the beginning. I am so excited for them. We are going to have them start watching a lecture on the History of Rome from The Teaching Company once a week. They will also be finishing up the Latin I course and then starting Latin II in the fall and take the NLE again for Latin II. We will also be starting a formal logic course from Memoria Press in the fall. I just love where they are headed-- even though it really is challenging, they are doing it.

I hope they get better at taking tests. I am going to have them take a bunch of practice bubble sheet tests this summer too. As homeschoolers I think test taking skills really suffer a bit. This was the first bubble sheet test they have taken, and they both finished in about half the normal time-- so I think we need to work on that. I may even have them take past Latin Exams once a week just to get better used to taking tests and see if we can get some of these things solidified in their minds. In my public school education I became a master test taker, but I didn't retain much information after the test. I would like my girls to be both good test takers and be able to retain the information.

Right now we are enjoying the fabulous weather and taking a week long Spring Break. I am loving it!! My house is pretty clean, I've gotten some good rest and I hope we'll be ready to pick it back up again on Monday- 'cause it has been awesome. The kids are bummed that they still have to do chores and practice the piano-- but it really doesn't take that long and they have been playing outside most of the time. I'm hoping we have time to build a new chicken coop. Destination Imagination tournament is this Saturday, so we may not-- oh well!!

Standardized Tests

I haven't had my kids take a standardized test yet. But this will be the year. I think that test taking skills are important to have. It is the one thing I learned in high school-- how to take tests and it helped me all through college. Now that we've had a couple years of doing some good learning under our belts, I'm not afraid to have my kids take the tests. I found these practice ones online:

http://www.edinformatics.com/testing/itest.htm

We'll try these first and then maybe I'll find one we can take for real!!