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What if 4th Grade Stanford testing is a bomb?


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We're doing the Stanford test this spring for finishing 4th grader. This will be her first time testing. I'm deliberately posting *before* testing and test results in case I'm disappointed and discouraged with the results. (Can you tell I'm an Eeyore? And yes, I do have the book "Learned Optimism." :))

 

How should I view test results at this stage? Just pointers for where we need to strengthen, but don't worry too much it's so early? Potentially wide, gaping holes should be a real concern? Wait to get serious about test results until 7-8th grade?

 

I'm initially doing this for her to start having the "testing experience." I'm not worried about her educationally really. She's a strong writer, doing well enough in math, and has great reading comprehension and logic skills. But I know myself as a little Type A and want to prepare for results that would be less than a full ride to Harvard. <eye roll>

 

Thoughts?

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I think the best part of the early testing is that it shows us parents which things are actually sticking and which things see to not bet getting through. No one's life is determined by fourth grade. Some subjects people are terrible at. Up until discovering Sequential Spelling for my son a few years ago, I was a horrific speller. Every standardized test showed me in the 20th percentile. It was terrible. It has had almost no bearing on my life.

 

Our state requires annual testing. The first test we did showed a lower math score, so the next year we really hit the math stuff more. The scores evened out over a couple years. Then one had a significantly lower reading comprehension score. Like woah! low. My son is a major reader. It was shocking. Turns out that he missed many problems because he did not agree with what the character did. It had nothing to do with his comprehension. This showed me two things: first, the testing really illuminated that though things were okay in the math department, it was not a chosen favorite of my son and I needed to insist a bit more with the subject. Second, a test is only as valid as the person taking it wants it to be. The test does not tell you directly about your kid. It can only help you understand her learning a bit better.

 

Use the test as a tool. If she bombs it, try to understand why (and it might have nothing to do with her knowledge). Look at the results as critically as possible for ten minutes and then be done with them! Everything you need to know (unless there are some undiagnosed LD's) will be obvious in ten minutes. Longer than that and you might drive yourself crazy.

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"What if 4th Grade Stanford Testing is a bomb?"

Well...the very fabric of the universe will begin to unravel, the ice caps will melt, the volcanoes will erupt, the sun will fall into the ocean causing the water to boil over and flood the land and all of humanity will drown in boiling hot water but not before the stars themselves burn out and cease to exist.

 

Just kidding! You'll gain some insight about your kids abilities in academics and their abilities to take a test. Poor test scores wont condemn them to a life of failure no more than great test scores in 4th grade will ensure them success and happiness.

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We're doing the Stanford test this spring for finishing 4th grader. This will be her first time testing. I'm deliberately posting *before* testing and test results in case I'm disappointed and discouraged with the results. (Can you tell I'm an Eeyore? And yes, I do have the book "Learned Optimism." :))

 

How should I view test results at this stage? Just pointers for where we need to strengthen, but don't worry too much it's so early? Potentially wide, gaping holes should be a real concern? Wait to get serious about test results until 7-8th grade?

 

I'm initially doing this for her to start having the "testing experience." I'm not worried about her educationally really. She's a strong writer, doing well enough in math, and has great reading comprehension and logic skills. But I know myself as a little Type A and want to prepare for results that would be less than a full ride to Harvard. <eye roll>

 

Thoughts?

Another option. Don't worry at all.

 

I've tested my kids every year (in all, K-5th) and the results haven't been a problem, which includes science and social studies tests. Other than small things like sentence mechanics or punctuation, my kids did fine.

 

I do talk about test taking skills with my older son, things like check your work and assume nothing. He likes to bring the whole universe of his knowledge to the test which can trip him up on reading comprehension. I emphasize to him that he can only use the information provided, nothing else.

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We're doing the Stanford test this spring for finishing 4th grader. This will be her first time testing. I'm deliberately posting *before* testing and test results in case I'm disappointed and discouraged with the results. (Can you tell I'm an Eeyore? And yes, I do have the book "Learned Optimism." :))

 

How should I view test results at this stage? Just pointers for where we need to strengthen, but don't worry too much it's so early? Potentially wide, gaping holes should be a real concern? Wait to get serious about test results until 7-8th grade?

 

I'm initially doing this for her to start having the "testing experience." I'm not worried about her educationally really. She's a strong writer, doing well enough in math, and has great reading comprehension and logic skills. But I know myself as a little Type A and want to prepare for results that would be less than a full ride to Harvard. <eye roll>

 

Thoughts?

 

You look over the results, notice where she did well and where she didn't, notice whether you actually taught everything that was covered on the test or not, decide whether you think it's necessary to cover those things at this point or not, and then move on.

 

It's only a test. It compares children of approximately the same age to a normed group. It doesn't really tell you what your dd knows (because she probably has learned things that the normed group did not) or what her abilities are--you don't need a test to tell you that.

 

FTR, I never did get "serious about test results." My dds didn't seem to suffer in their college experiences, or IRL, because of it.

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