Concepts in Action

I have always helped my kids review for tests, quizzes and the such since they began schooling. They have honed their study skills over the years, and up to lately, have only asked for my help from time to time.

Jacob never asks and I tend to go to him when Infinite Campus sends me yellow signals every now and then. All the hype and charm of middle school has made him more nonchalant than ever, so staying on him is a must. With all the gaming and, now girls, he forgets to turn in an assignment now and then.

Robyn however, has found new challenges in high school and comes to me freely and often with two advanced placement courses and Latin, the dead language she calls it. So the two of us usually have study session on a weekly basis—mainly for Latin and AP Government.

Latin usually just involves vocabulary drills and verb tense reviews. The Latin is cool and not very “dead” because so much of our English vocabulary is based on the Old World language. Understanding English definitions is actually helpful in translating Latin.

It’s the AP Government that trips her from time to time because it is soooo much to comprehend at once. It’s a lot of information to digest especially when some of it is so similar. I love history and understand it pretty well, she knows that and is not afraid to text me from school that “we” are doing government on any given night. Wow, on cue, as I pen this column she texted me about the AP Bio test tomorrow.

For the most part, government is memorization of dates and places. But many times the policy implementation of some of it confuses her so I make it real life for her with events currently happening. For instance, when she was studying the Voting Rights Act of 1965 it didn’t dawn on her fully why that was necessary because she has seen her mother and grandmother trek to the polls to vote so often her whole life. I had to explain to her that it wa because of that act that we do so. She further finds it puzzling why such an act has to be renewed every 30 or so years, because isn’t it a basic right.

She hates the study of political party ideology but understands it, congressional terms, and elections so well now because of the last two senatorial elections held in Georgia. It baffled her why her home state was front and center on every national news show in Fall 2020. Watching the campaigns helped her to understand the logistics of Congress so much better.

Now with AP Bio tonight, she will basically be on her own because Science is not my dig. So I will just quiz her on the notes basically.

I have found it to be amazing what kids, at any age, can comprehend when you break things down for them, no matter how complicated. Heck, that goes for adults too.