Wednesday Wishes

I wish my children really looked like this.  No, not really.  That's Equestrian Girl on the right and her friend on the left goofing around on my Mac earlier today.  I love the friend's big eyes!!

Homeschooling:  Around the middle of last fall we started using www.aleks.com for math for Equestrian Girl.  I'd been using Math U See for both kids because it was a good fit for Motocross Boy but Equestrian Girl LOVES math and there was just way too much repetition for her and she was getting bored.  We did a trial with Aleks and she really liked it.  I also liked that they did regular testing and showed me where she was compared to the state standards.  I know lots of homeschoolers want nothing to do with state standards and I respect that.  I have this innate need to know that I'm teaching them enough that IF they had to go back to public school they wouldn't be behind.  (It's about me.)  

About a month ago  Motocross Boy wanted to switch to www.aleks.com.  He had been doing great with Math U See and I was very reluctant to let him switch.  He needs lots of repetition and hands on and I was afraid an online curriculum for math wasn't going to give him enough instruction.  But, so far so good!  The program has an artificial intelligence that doesn't let him move on until he demonstrates that he really does know the material...and with their recent updates I can even spy on him and see how long he works on it each day and how much he actually accomplishes.  Very cool.

Horses:  Equestrian Girl has a lesson tomorrow at 2:30.  I'm trying desperately to remember the video camera...

Motocross:  The boys are outside with some motocross buddies...one is buying Motocross Boy's old 65.