Pros/Cons of Stanford Testing, if not required?

[mommyto4QT]

My child is in 2nd grade this year and it is our first year homeschooling. I received info about Stanford testing being offered in the area. The same forum said that testing is beneficial for children to prepare for later required tests, even though testing is not required in my state.

 

So, I am curious about other's opinions on the pros/cons of testing in general? And the pros/cons of the Stanford test?

 

Is it a good idea to test a 2nd grader or just wait until child is older??

 

Thank you!

[fourisenough]

Testing is not required in my state, but I have had my girls sit for the Stanford test annually. I like having a record of their performance and being able to compare results from year to year. Tests will be a part of their lives for many years to come, thus mastering the skill of test-taking is an important part of their development. By testing from a young age, they never develop fear or anxiety - it is just what you do every year in May or June (or whenever you typically test).

 

Both of my older girls began PS this year. I was able to provide copies of their test reports (although I didn't have to), along with work samples to support my argument that they belonged in several honors classes. I was 'speaking the school's language' so to speak - they understand standardized test results. Having taught history chronologically from the ancients to modern with integrated literature means nothing to them, but they get a 94th percentile total battery on a nationally-normed test.

 

My youngest student (DD3 - age 8) loves to test, so it might even be fun for your child. We usually take the afternoons off after the morning testing to do something fun - get ice cream & play at the park. Very little pressure for her and a big gain in skill practice/mastery.

[SarahW]

Eh, for young kids I'm not in favor of testing. I don't think it makes a lot of sense to them at that age.

 

If you do do that, I don't think you should share the results any more than, "the test thinks you've passed 2nd grade pretty good." The numbers and percentiles and stuff like that can just make kids start quantifying themselves according to a number and comparing their "smarts" to others.