In grade school, we learned a cool song listing all 50 states in alphabetical order. If you were to ask me to recite it today, I could still get you all the way to Ohio. For some reason, after Ohio, I can't remember how the song goes.
Anyway, my point is, it was a method that worked at the time, and stuck with me some 25 years later.
I saw on Wednesday last week, written as a side note in Coleton's agenda, that there was a "State" test on Thursday. When I asked him what he needed to study, he replied, "I don't know...the states." (Yeah, boy genius over here) I tried to get him to be more specific: flags, birds, trees...but he didn't seem to remember what exactly he needed to know. I'm so glad that he's such an astute student.
On Friday, we found his corrected test....at the bottom of his bookbag...with a big "F" in red. Turns out what he needed to know was WHERE each state was in the US. Ah yes. I remember that test.
After scolding him and grounding him for 2 weeks for failing something we easily could have studied for, I found another note that said, "Make-up test Monday." Guess what we did all weekend?
We studied the states.
Coleton started off knowing where 17 states were. By his first practice test, he only missed 16. By Sunday night, he FINALLY scored 100% on my version of the test.
We got his test back yesterday...and I was optimistic since Coleton brought it to us and I didn't have to search it out.
My boy got a shining 100% complete with a smiley face.
It's amazing what a little studying can do.
P.S. ~ As an added bonus, not only can I recite all 50 states now (maybe not in song) but I can also tell you where they are on a map.
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