4Real Forums: Standardized Testing

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Topic: Standardized Testing

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BrendaPeter
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Joined: Feb 28 2005
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Posted: May 02 2005 at 4:14pm \| IP Logged

A few of you have mentioned that they worry about what they're not teaching their children with unschooling. I worry too. What do you think about standardized testing? Is it necessary in the younger years? What if you're in a state in which it is necessary to comply with their homeschooling recommendations?

I recently had my almost 11-year-old ds take the CAT-E test to satisfy my own curiousity and because my husband wanted me to. My son scored above average in math, but average in reading & grammar. I graded him myself because I wanted to see the weak areas. I think his weakest area was actually in "reading directions"!! How do you teach that?!

Blessings,

Brenda (mom to 6)

ladybugs
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Joined: Feb 07 2005
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Posted: May 02 2005 at 5:18pm \| IP Logged

BrendaPeter wrote:

I think his weakest area was actually in "reading directions"!! How do you teach that?!

Hi Brenda,

A few things came to mind...

baking
rocket making kits
airplane or car models
creating games for younger siblings
paint by numbers

Also, my daughter just did take the 2nd grade test - not because I wanted her to but because she had to...I don't know her scores yet and to be honest, I don't really want to know them. What's more important to me is that she loves to learn and fortunately, she does...

I just wanted to respond to your question about following directions....I hope it wasn't rhetorical

God Bless,

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Love and God Bless,
Maria P

My etsy store - all proceeds go to help my fencing daughters!

juliecinci
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Posted: May 02 2005 at 7:31pm \| IP Logged

We haven't done standardized testing until the PLAN (pre-test for the ACT). Both my teens did reasonably well with no preparation.

My oldest did take an ACT/SAT prep class after that and my daughter plans to take the same class. It seems to be enough!

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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years

Cindy
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Joined: Feb 01 2005
Location: Texas
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Posted: May 02 2005 at 9:14pm \| IP Logged

Hi Brenda-

The way I have always approached it is that test-taking is it's own skill and can be taught. I was great at taking tests and did well. My brother who is probably smarter than me

was terrible at tests.

We do the CAT tests just for ourselves every year or so. I have one who is not great at tests and pressure, so we do it slow and I give him extra time. I want to ease it in slowly so he will be familiar with the bubble to fill, the lay out, the wording of the directions, etc.

We keep it light and laugh at the silly (or banal) stuff when we can. My hope is they feel in control and that the test is not something to fear.

I think Maria had some great ideas for learning directions! And I found that puzzle books, computer games, board games, etc were good too. Maybe you could make up some silly directions... and have him follow.

My thinking is to keep the test in the mix and then when they are getting close to needed SATs or ACTs we can get practice tests and play around with those.

Oh.. ps.. I always thought my child had to learn how do eal with test "cold" since I had to. But, now, instead I hope to 'warm them up' to the tests.. so again they will feel in control as much as possible.

hth!

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Cindy in Texas

It Is About The Journey

Willa
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Posted: May 03 2005 at 12:06pm \| IP Logged

To add to Maria's suggestions -- scavenger hunts. Put directions to the next site or activity.

I agree with what Cindy said about test prep. My highschooler spent a couple of weeks every spring doing SAT practice tests. He really did well on the SATs, almost perfect in verbal, and I am so thankful that we didn't have to spend all his high school years jumping through curriculum hoops, and still got accepted into his first college choice. We were able to do an eclectic, flexible curriculum which could be defined as unschooling if you use the very broadest definition of the word

In our state we don't have to take yearly standardized tests, but if we did I'd just spend some time pre-testing and getting kids comfortable with the format, pretty much as I did with the high schooler.

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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read

BrendaPeter
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Joined: Feb 28 2005
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Posted: May 03 2005 at 12:46pm \| IP Logged

Thank you everyone for all your helpful responses. Are there any test prep books any of you might recommend? The CAT-E is a little costly ($25/each) so I'm wondering if there's a better way to "practice."

Thanks!

Blessings,

Brenda (mom to 6)

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