DORA/DOMA ... other?

[Just Robyn]

Have you had your child take the DORA or DOMA? How old were they and did you find the evaluation helpful? Is there another evaluation you would recommend? Thank you.

 

ETA: I have no reason to think any of my dc are lacking particular skills or are behind in any area and part of me thinks those types of evaluations are worthless and terrible. However, part of me just wants an objective evaluation which may point me to areas I have missed. I can look at the results and decide for myself if they seem accurate or worthy of consideration.

Edited May 21, 2010 by crstarlette

[homefront]

I've used DORA with my DD7 this school year. I did have some concerns and wanted something simple to note progress. The test is relatively quick with nice report including estimated lexile level and few others. Watching your child from a distance can also give you feedback.

[Kuovonne]

I had my DD take the DORA and DOMA at the beginning of the school year. Both tests are supposed to adapt to the student. I like the DORA and found it useful. I didn't like the DOMA. For the DORA test, all the questions were the same type -- the words/text just got harder. On the other hand, the DOMA test asked questions in all areas of elementary math, even when it was widely inappropriate. (Why ask a question about division with remainders of a child that doesn't know that 25 is more than 19?) That said, the evaluation was helpful, but it wasn't worth putting DD through an experience that felt like she was setup to fail.

[usetoschool]

I teach other peoples children so I have used it repeatedly as a quick and painless way to show the parents the progress their children are making. It has been pretty accurate in my experience, not too hard for the kids to take and pretty quick. It takes my slowest child about an hour to take the DORA test.

 

I am not sure what the pp meant by it is all the same, just harder words since that wasn't really our experience. There are various parts to the test that test various skills - timed reading, spelling, reading a passage and answering comprehension questions, etc.

 

We have also used the DOMA and Pre-Algebra tests and been satisfied with them. Through Homeschoolbuyerscoop.com you can buy the tests fairly cheaply - $15 for the first and $12 for each additional. Pretty reasonable for a basic and readily accessable assessment. It is online only and you can use it anytime and start and stop as often as you like until you are finished. It prints out a pretty comprehensive report and also a comparison report if you take it more than once.

[Just Robyn]

I've used DORA with my DD7 this school year. I did have some concerns and wanted something simple to note progress. The test is relatively quick with nice report including estimated lexile level and few others. Watching your child from a distance can also give you feedback.

 

I have tried to figure that on my own based on books read, but that would be nice to see.

 

I had my DD take the DORA and DOMA at the beginning of the school year. Both tests are supposed to adapt to the student. I like the DORA and found it useful. I didn't like the DOMA. For the DORA test, all the questions were the same type -- the words/text just got harder. On the other hand, the DOMA test asked questions in all areas of elementary math, even when it was widely inappropriate. (Why ask a question about division with remainders of a child that doesn't know that 25 is more than 19?) That said, the evaluation was helpful, but it wasn't worth putting DD through an experience that felt like she was setup to fail.

 

Hmmm. Yeah, maybe knowing that in advance and warning them that some items may be things they have never learned and not to worry about it would help? Thanks for the heads up.

 

I teach other peoples children so I have used it repeatedly as a quick and painless way to show the parents the progress their children are making. It has been pretty accurate in my experience, not too hard for the kids to take and pretty quick. It takes my slowest child about an hour to take the DORA test.

 

I am not sure what the pp meant by it is all the same, just harder words since that wasn't really our experience. There are various parts to the test that test various skills - timed reading, spelling, reading a passage and answering comprehension questions, etc.

 

We have also used the DOMA and Pre-Algebra tests and been satisfied with them. Through Homeschoolbuyerscoop.com you can buy the tests fairly cheaply - $15 for the first and $12 for each additional. Pretty reasonable for a basic and readily accessable assessment. It is online only and you can use it anytime and start and stop as often as you like until you are finished. It prints out a pretty comprehensive report and also a comparison report if you take it more than once.

 

An hour? :001_huh: - nice to know that in advance. It almost seems it would have to replace the reading/math lesson for the day.

 

I hadn't noticed it at homeschoolbuyerscoop. I guess I wasn't looking. I would have paid more. Thank you.

[Kuovonne]

warning them that some items may be things they have never learned and not to worry about it would help?

 

I did warn DD, but she still got upset when for screen after screen, she didn't understand the question, let along being able to figure out the answer. She had never even heard of division, fractions, or place value beyond tens before, yet it still asked multiple questions on each of these topics. I think that the test didn't "adapt" to my daughter very well since it brought up these topics, even though she had clearly not mastered other, simpler skills (like the 25 > 19 example I gave in my previous post).

 

It takes my slowest child about an hour to take the DORA test.

An hour? :001_huh: - nice to know that in advance. It almost seems it would have to replace the reading/math lesson for the day.

 

Definately replace at least the reading/math lesson for the day. When we did the testing, we didn't do any other school for the day.

 

I think the DORA test adapts itself to last about an hour no matter the skill level of the kid. DD has taken the DORA test twice (in different years). Both times it took about an hour, even though she was at different skill levels.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that you can take breaks in the middle of the test, or even spread the test across multiple days.

 

I am not sure what the pp meant by it is all the same, just harder words since that wasn't really our experience. There are various parts to the test that test various skills - timed reading, spelling, reading a passage and answering comprehension questions, etc.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, there are different skills tested: reading, spelling, reading comprehension, etc. However, for each skill, the question format is the same. For example, on several sections the computer says a word and has the child pick the written word. It started with easy words and then the words got harder. Even with the hard words, DD still understood what she was supposed to do: e.g. pick the matching word. For vocabulary, you pick the picture that goes with the word, and the words just get harder. For spelling, it says the word and has the child spell it. It didn't bother DD, and sometimes she didn't even notice, when she picked or typed the wrong answer. This was a big contrast to the DOMA test when DD was presented with math questions where she had no clue what she was even being asked to do (and IMHO she shouldn't have even been asked the question).

Edited May 22, 2010 by Kuovonne