So Excited for Her

This year for school I changed it up a bit. 

I knew it was going to be challenging to homeschool with everything going on.  We contemplated sending the girls to public school for a little while, but my husband didn't think it would be the best of ideas in the end.  At the beginning of the school year, JT lost the use of his legs (he has since regained it, but every now and then they go out on him).  That meant I had to take him to all his doctor appointments and to work.  Then I knew we would be making a move during the year.  All that made me search for something easy for me to do with the girls that didn't involve a lot of planning for me, but gave them a good education.  

So, I looked into Time 4 Learning.  It looked good enough, cheap enough.  I subscribed to their homeschool curriculum.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much better it is than their demo lead me to believe.  It provides all the subject for their grade.  It keeps record for me.  They also have access to the subject below and above their grade level.  We also have book curriculum for phonics and math to go along with what they are learning on the computer.  We also read a lot.

Ella has struggled with reading.  It is just hard for her.  This year it really shot off though.  I am so proud of her for persevering.  In her words...the letters get jumbled up in her head and they don't make since.  She knows all her reading rules...she can spout those off no problem.  It is the letters (and the numbers).  

I go back and forth between getting her tested for any learning disability ie. dyslexia.  My thought is that I don't want her to be labeled and use that as an excuse not to do something.  I also just want to know for my peace of mind.  Since I do suspect it to be one disorder, I have done my fair share of research and talking with a good friend whose son is dyslexic.  Ella's reading curriculum is based on the Orton-Gillingham method.  It is a method used to teach dyslexic children how to read.  It also is helpful for those who just struggle to learn to read because of any learning disability.  I used Saxon Phonics, but it was a little to boring for Ella.  It didn't hold her attention well enough though it is very good.  We switched to All About Reading.  She loves it.  I try to make her read everything I can.  I also can recognize when she is getting tired so she can stop.  I don't want her to give up or get frustrated, so that is why we take breaks.  She knows that reading is hard for her and that other kids can read faster than she can, so she just tries harder.  I tell her that her brain works differently...not worse, but different.  She can read and very well...just not as much at one time or as fast as she is suppose too.  She is getting there.  And I am very proud of her.

Back to her computer school as we call it...

She gets a story to read and when she is finished reading it, she clicks stop.  She is able to read it twice. I think she is suppose to read like X words per minute.  It measures that.  She is given a percentage after each reading.  She came screaming to me to come see her score yesterady.  I went in and her second reading was at 80%.  It was the highest it has ever been. She was so proud of herself that she wanted to try it again and get to 90% (which it the goal).  She read it again and on her 4th reading she got to 97%.

Now for some people whose have brilliant children...let me rephrase that...for some parents who have children that excel in certain subjects better than others, like reading, this may seem insignificant to you. 

But not to me.  

Or to Ella.  

It may have been her fourth reading of the same story but she kept trying and beat the goal.  For that I am thrilled.  It was a huge accomplishment for her.  

Every reading of each story she improves and that is all I can ask for her.

So proud of you baby girl!