Published: August 25, 2007 04:01 pm      

Local homeschoolers achieve top results

EDMOND — Connie Hong couldn’t get her children, whom she home schools, to pay attention to her in their studies because they were bored and did not feel challenged.

She tested Ian, 7-years-old, and Grace, 10-years-old, through the Center for Talented Youth at John Hopkins University in Baltimore in the hopes they would be approved to take online courses.

“I wanted to home school so I wanted to supplement the curriculum,” Hong said.

Grace, who would be a fourth-grader in public schools, tested in the 94-95 percentile at the sixth-grade level. Ian, who would be a first-grader, tested in the 73-82 at a fourth-grade level.

The children received State Award for High Honors certificates and earned the right to take courses and programs through CTY.

“Now I can challenge them more appropriately,” Hong said.

She said her intent is not to rush her children through high school graduation but to find material that makes them work for their As. Hong said she wants her children to learn to work through a challenging curriculum instead of coasting through without any effort.

Grace is taking a creative writing course through CTY.

“At home school I can study at my own pace and I have more freedom to study what I want,” Grace said.

Hong said the courses her daughter takes through CTY range from sixth- to eighth-grade levels.

Grace’s favorite subjects are reading and language arts. According to the Woodcock Johnson III Test of Achievement administered by the University of Central Oklahoma, Grace tested at a college level for language arts.

“She reads an average of three to five hours a day,” Hong said.

While Grace excels in writing and reading, Ian excels at science.

Ian said his favorite thing to do is invent things. He recently attended summer camp at Camp Invention.

“I use a CD ROM called Incredible Machine,” he said.

Ian tested between third- and seventh-grade levels for reading, math, writing and oral language on the Woodcock Johnson III Test of Achievement.

Hong said the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a program for gifted children, further advises her on what to include in the children’s curriculum. Ian and Grace are two among less than 1,500 Davidson Young Scholars in the world.

Hong also incorporates private art and music lessons, Chinese and sports into her children’s curriculum.