A Day in Our Lives: I Just Have to Brag on My Girls!!!

I know, I know. Everyone thinks they have the best, smartest, and cutest kids, but I'm here to tell you that you're wrong! I have the best kids!!!!

Let me start off by bragging on Rachel! She is doing so AWESOME in 1st grade! Every week they have a spelling test on Thursday. The spelling words are given to us the Friday before. All of the spelling words are on the test, plus a bonus word that they haven't had to learn. If you make a 100 or 101 on the Thursday spelling test, then you don't have to take it again on Friday. But if you make less than 100, then you have to re-take the test on Friday. Let me just say that Rachel has only made a 100 once - all the other times she has made 101!!! She does so well academically!

In 1st grade they have also created the 100 Book Club. The goal is to get kids to read 100 books at home during the school year. They have a chart that they keep up with it on with the title, author, number of pages, date read, and parent signature. You are allowed to count books that the child reads to you OR books that you read to your child. Plus, if it's a chapter book, you're allowed to count each chapter as a book. I told Rachel from the beginning that we were only going to count books that SHE read because I knew she could read 100 books by herself during the school year. I also told her that we'd count chapter books as just one book - not as multiple books. She was fine with this and the charting of books began! Since this started just a week or so into the school year, the first books that she read were easier books. But now she's reading much harder books! She loves the Amelia Bedelia books! I've bought several of those from a used book store, and we've checked out some from the library. She has also read one of the Little House chapter books. She is just reading SO WELL!!! And last night she completed her 100th book at home!!! I'm so proud of her! When she looks at her chart she knows that she read all 100 of those books all by herself! How awesome is that? And the school year isn't even half over!!! Rachel has entered the 100 Book Club!

Speaking of reading, Rachel has been reading books at school and then taking Accelerated Reader (AR) tests on the computer. There are just a few kids in her class that are doing the AR books and tests. Here's a simple explanation of how it works. The kids are tested to determine their reading level. Once their reading level is determined, they are supposed to pick books that are their reading level and above. There is a list of all the books in the AR program and each book has been assigned a reading level. After Rachel reads a book, she takes a test on the computer to test how well she comprehended the book. If you pass the test, then you earn points. These points are accumulated during the 6 weeks. At the end of the 6 weeks, kids can redeem their points at the AR store in the library. So far, Rachel has passed every one of her AR tests! I'm so proud of her!!!

Pretty much every day I get compliments on Rachel from the school staff. The principal and assistant principal have told me numerous times what a good kid Rachel is and how well she does and how they wish they could clone her! Rachel's teacher is very complimentary of her too! One time when she was out, the substitute teacher happened to be a lady from our church. The sub told me that on the note Mrs. Wilson left for her, it said if she had any questions to just ask Rachel!! At church it's the same thing! Her teachers all brag on how good she is and how sweet she is!

Can you tell that I am SO PROUD OF RACHEL!!!!!! She's an awesome 6 year old and I'm so glad that she's my daughter!