Many families choose to meet state assessment requirements by having a certified teacher review their child's work. This can be a fun opportunity for parents and children to look back at all they have explored and accomplished over the past year and reflect on highlights and growth. I enjoy meeting with families and hearing about their many interesting learning experiences. I'm open to a variety of approaches to learning at home, including unschooling, and my assessment process is nonjudgmental and informal, yet thorough. I'm also happy to offer impressions and suggestions by request.

Typical assessment process:

1. Contact me to schedule. It is advisable to do this by the end of May, and several weeks in advance of your preferred meeting time. In 2023, assessment appointments will mainly be available June 12th - July 19th with some appointments available earlier. A later appointment is possible if you don't need the assessment by August 1st. Plan to set aside about an hour per child.

2. Gather documentation and work samples from different subject areas and times in the year that show growth and progress and what your child is proud of, including the following:

• A list of some or all of the books your child has read and/or listened to this year
• Samples of math and writing work from different times in the homeschool year (these can be informal)
• A book your child is currently reading or has read recently, which they would be comfortable reading aloud (especially for newer readers)
• Some of the following (as applicable): projects, artwork, photos (a presorted sampling of no more than 50), writing samples, journals, brochures from field trips, books used, skill practice, parent notes on learning activities, etc.

3. Please send the following about a week or so before our meeting:

• Your curriculum outline (MCOS) if you submitted one to the Home Study office for the current homeschool year. Don't worry if you didn't follow it exactly! Please let me know if you were exempt.
• Information about any identified disability and the adaptations made to address it, if applicable.
• Your child's name as written on the home study paperwork, what they would like me to call them, and their preferred pronouns (if I don't already know this).
• For video meetings, please contact me for information on sharing work samples.

4. Please have the following available during our assessment meeting:

• Your child
• Work samples and other documentation (see list above)
• Payment (see below)

5. I will spend about an hour with you and your child, looking over work samples and documentation and discussing your child's learning activities. This goes more smoothly if what you have to show me is organized.

Sometimes children and/or parents are nervous in anticipation of the meeting, particularly if this is our first meeting. Please try to think of this as an opportunity to share what you've been doing with an interested person. No formal testing will take place and I'm committed to keeping the process non-threatening for children and parents alike. Children who are feeling reluctant can just be present while I talk with the parent, and then join in when they are ready.

I approach the assessment with the assumption that the child has made progress, so the focus is on looking at and discussing examples of that progress, some of which will then be documented on the state form. Occasionally, if documentation doesn't show a child's current skill level, I may ask them to read aloud, write briefly, or do a few math problems. Usually this is not necessary, and the assessment takes the form of a conversation and “show and tell”. Sometimes children enjoy reading aloud, playing a musical instrument, or in other ways demonstrating what they've learned (and I do encourage new readers to read aloud to me if they're willing).

Please note that I prefer to be called "Rebecca" by people of all ages and I use she/her pronouns.

6. Please plan to pay on the day of our assessment meeting.

• The basic assessment fee is $100 with $10 off the fee for each additional child.
• You can mail a check made out to Rebecca Yahm or Open Path Homeschooling Resources to 180 Bartlett Road, Plainfield VT 05667
• I also can take PayPal payments to rebecca@openpathhomeschooling.com or Venmo to @Rebecca-Yahm
• Barter is also possible; please be in touch in advance to discuss this option.

7. Within three weeks of meeting with you, I'll write up the assessment in a format that meets the VT Home Study requirements and email it to you as a PDF to include with your new enrollment forms. If you want it sent by mail instead, just let me know. If I have any questions about your child's progress, I will address these with you before completing the form so that we can discuss the situation together. The form will mention some of the documentation I saw during the assessment and some of the other things your child did this year, including a few examples of what your child learned in each area of the minimum course of study.