This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
Joy! I can see the progress that my 6-year-old has made in math in just one year using the Ron Paul Curriculum. Our recent test proved it to me.
Last Friday my 6-year-old and my 5-year-old had a skill test for their Math 1 course of the Ron Paul Curriculum. The test was on simple addition. Unless I am mistaken, none of the numbers were over ten, making the highest possible result twenty.
The test is for the equivalent of a first grade student. At this point the student is supposed to be able to do the addition in their head. My 6-year-old took this same test last year when we went through Math 1 as her Kindergarten curriculum. Last year she was able to do the addition, but not in her head. She used counting objects and it took her a long time to complete the test, even with me helping her.
Making Progress with RPC
This year she had no problem doing the math in her head and she got most of them right. On the rare occasion that she did miss one, we went over it with together and she understood how to get the correct answer. Without my help she got 93% correct.
My 5-year-old is watching the same videos with her older sister as her Kindergarten curriculum, just like her sister did last year. My expectations of her are different. Mostly I just want her to get into the habit of watching the videos. Of course, she gets more out of it than just discipline. She absorbs a lot of the information, even if she isn’t reading, writing or doing math in her head.
Using Counting Objects
This year it was my 5-year-old’s turn to do the math test with counting objects. We have several jars of objects to count with. We have plastic gemstones, buttons, coins and dominoes. The kids got a rock-tumbler for Christmas, so maybe polished rocks will be making their way into the collection soon.
I let my 5-year-old decide what kind of objects she wanted to use and then we did the test together. It took us a while, but it was worth it. My kids get a boost of confidence when they can do assignments from the curriculum. I think this is because they know that it isn’t just something that I made up for them to do. It feels more important and real.
Easing Anxiety About Homeschooling
It has also been a great way for me to see their progress. Parenting is difficult because it is a lot of work, but it can be a long time before you get to see the fruits of your labors. Being a homeschool parent adds a whole new level that to that dynamic.
Being a relatively new homeschool mom means that I have a lot of anxiety about whether or not my children are learning anything. Milestones like this one go a long way to ease my mind. Last year when my 6-year-old was taking the addition test using counting objects, I couldn’t imagine her ever being able to do the math in her head.
I wasn’t sure I knew how to teach her to do it in her head. It turns out, all I had to do was keep doing what I was doing!