Testing Question
Dana
I was just wondering how to handle this. I live in a state where home schooled children must be tested every 3 years, starting in 3rd grade. My oldest daughter will be considered to be in the 3rd grade next school year. Not having a college degree; I'm not allowed to test her myself. How should I prepare her for this. She and I have talked about the test but she has no interest in it. She's very bright but her lack of interest and knowledge in mathematical concepts is where my concern lies. Am I being silly? Thanks in advance.
Dana
Dana
Joyce Fetteroll
On Sep 29, 2009, at 8:42 AM, Dana wrote:
require tests be taken but the scores are never turned in. Some
states only require a 30% on the test. But that's something for your
local group to discuss. There are people on this list from India and
South Africa and Australia and the minutiae of state laws isn't of
international interest or help.
But in general, the more casual you can be, the better. The more you
worry about it, the more you worry over her worrying about it, the
more likely she'll pick up on the tension in your voice and body and
assume there's something to stress over.
Tell her it's just something the state requires you to do to homeschool.
The best medicine is being informed. (That goes for practically
anything!)
Help her be informed. Go over a practice test and look at the *type*
of questions she'll be asked. Don't worry about content. Help her get
informed about the style of the test.
Give her some strategies like: On multiple choice, if she's not sure,
tell her to eliminate (cross out in some way so that it doesn't look
like she's picking them!) the ones she knows are wrong. If she's not
sure of an answer, skip ahead. Do the ones she's most sure of first
and go back to the ones she can eliminate most of the answers on.
(BTW, there are loads of fun online quizzes that parents can show
their kids. There's no need for a state test to be the first time a
child sees a multiple choice question!
Like:
What kind of Pokemon are you:
http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/996471/what-type-of-pokemon-are-you
Google "online quiz" and lots of sites will pop up. There are books
with personality quizzes. All sorts of fun ways to be exposed to
various test styles, strategies and rules.)
Joyce
> I live in a state where home schooled children must be testedWell, first, the best place to ask is a local group. Some states
> every 3 years, starting in 3rd grade. ... How should I prepare her
> for this. She and I have talked about the test but she has no
> interest in it. She's very bright but her lack of interest and
> knowledge in mathematical concepts is where my concern lies. Am I
> being silly?
require tests be taken but the scores are never turned in. Some
states only require a 30% on the test. But that's something for your
local group to discuss. There are people on this list from India and
South Africa and Australia and the minutiae of state laws isn't of
international interest or help.
But in general, the more casual you can be, the better. The more you
worry about it, the more you worry over her worrying about it, the
more likely she'll pick up on the tension in your voice and body and
assume there's something to stress over.
Tell her it's just something the state requires you to do to homeschool.
The best medicine is being informed. (That goes for practically
anything!)
Help her be informed. Go over a practice test and look at the *type*
of questions she'll be asked. Don't worry about content. Help her get
informed about the style of the test.
Give her some strategies like: On multiple choice, if she's not sure,
tell her to eliminate (cross out in some way so that it doesn't look
like she's picking them!) the ones she knows are wrong. If she's not
sure of an answer, skip ahead. Do the ones she's most sure of first
and go back to the ones she can eliminate most of the answers on.
(BTW, there are loads of fun online quizzes that parents can show
their kids. There's no need for a state test to be the first time a
child sees a multiple choice question!
Like:
What kind of Pokemon are you:
http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/996471/what-type-of-pokemon-are-you
Google "online quiz" and lots of sites will pop up. There are books
with personality quizzes. All sorts of fun ways to be exposed to
various test styles, strategies and rules.)
Joyce
Sandra Dodd
-=-. She and I have talked about the test but she has no interest in
it. She's very bright but her lack of interest and knowledge in
mathematical concepts is where my concern lies. Am I being silly?
Thanks in advance.=-
I don't think "silly," but over-reacting.
Talk to other unschoolers in your state. See what they're doing. One
of them might be able to be your test proctor (or whatever the law
requires there), or there might be a sympathetic child psychologist
who'll do it, but the locals will know. That's not within the scope
of this list.
What IS an international and human reality is this:
She will learn more if you're relaxed and warm and soft than if you're
tight and jittery and electrified. So don't spend a year or part of a
year or even a day or part of a day being terrified or frightened or
feeling silly.
There's my advice. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
it. She's very bright but her lack of interest and knowledge in
mathematical concepts is where my concern lies. Am I being silly?
Thanks in advance.=-
I don't think "silly," but over-reacting.
Talk to other unschoolers in your state. See what they're doing. One
of them might be able to be your test proctor (or whatever the law
requires there), or there might be a sympathetic child psychologist
who'll do it, but the locals will know. That's not within the scope
of this list.
What IS an international and human reality is this:
She will learn more if you're relaxed and warm and soft than if you're
tight and jittery and electrified. So don't spend a year or part of a
year or even a day or part of a day being terrified or frightened or
feeling silly.
There's my advice. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-
Give her some strategies like: On multiple choice, if she's not sure,
tell her to eliminate (cross out in some way so that it doesn't look
like she's picking them!) the ones she knows are wrong. If she's not
sure of an answer, skip ahead. Do the ones she's most sure of first
and go back to the ones she can eliminate most of the answers on.=-
But not a year before or six months before. Maybe a day before. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Give her some strategies like: On multiple choice, if she's not sure,
tell her to eliminate (cross out in some way so that it doesn't look
like she's picking them!) the ones she knows are wrong. If she's not
sure of an answer, skip ahead. Do the ones she's most sure of first
and go back to the ones she can eliminate most of the answers on.=-
But not a year before or six months before. Maybe a day before. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]