Say No to SATs

Until we begin our home education in September, the kids are still subjected to the ridiculous SATs. Anya was crying in bed last night because she doesn't understand what she is supposed to be doing during the test. She is 6 years old and is subjected to complex assessment at such a young age. The child next to her has special needs which are more severe than Anya's. Anya said during the test that her friend didn't now what to do and Anya wasn't allowed to help her. Is this really the right way to educate our children? Anya has ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and early signs of Dyslexia. She needs some help with her spellings, reading and some social language support. She does not need these tests.

Word Shark

Wordshark is a computer program which combines the fun and excitement of games with the serious task of learning to read and spell. The program allows children to begin with a very simply group of words. The exercises for each word group include spelling and reading tasks which are exciting and engaging. I decided to invest in Wordshark as both my kids have real problems with reading and spelling. The software cost £67.50 but the software arrived today and both Owen and Anya were keen to try it out. The concept seems very good and the exercises and games are very engaging.

Our Decision to Home School

Like most parent we simply want our children to receive an education that allows them to reach their potential and develop with a positive image of themselves. After much deliberation, careful thought my husband (Mark) and I have decided to remove our children (Owen and Anya) from main stream education and educate them at home. We have struggled with the local school to provide them with adequate and positive education but after four year we do not feel they (not any other main stream school) has the ability or capacity to allow our children to reach their full potential.