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Anyone else have a kid who has major meltdowns with standardized tests?


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Ugh...poor kid.  He's a smart kid.  Does fine on the tests.  But even going very very slowly and reallllly spreaaaaading it out he is just a ball of goo with these tests.  He doesn't want to do them.  He gets super worked up.  I used an untimed version.  I just wish there was some way to make it less traumatic.

 

*sigh*

 

 

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My younger boy’s meltdown is on test prep which he wants to do because he wants better scores on the actual thing. What help was plying this kid with 2 pack of skittles for a 3 hr session. I’m assuming this is for the NY requirement and he is doing the untimed test at home. Would he be happier eating or drinking something and doing?

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Well. I once proctored a (special needs) 2nd grader in PS who got so inconsolably upset and melted down that we ended up sending him to the children’s hospital for an evaluation. That was the final straw on taking my pregnant body out of the PS system entirely, because I had not gone into teaching to traumatize children into nervous breakdowns!

 

What helps here is doing it as a group and making it social. DD did her first few standardized tests with a Classical conversations group (we weren’t in the group, but they let anyone pay the testing fee and come) that did “test section, go outside for 30 minutes and run around, “test section, eat a snackâ€, “test sectionâ€, go play on the playground, test section, moms pick up kids and go to McDonalds for lunch. Repeat for a week. It definitely made testing a comfortable experience for younger kids, although it took a lot longer. By the time she got to the SAT/ACT, it had whittled down a bit, but test prep still includes picking special snacks to take and deciding where to go for lunch afterwards.

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Yes. She did horribly on the math section, which was her strongest subject. :) We did the test through a local co-op and the moms supervising it were very sweet and prayed with her and encouraged her. I emphasized over and over that the scores didn't matter. I didn't even show her the scores when they came in.

 

In my daughter's case, it was a matter of working on her perfectionism in many areas, and taking the tests on a yearly basis. She's in high school now and has no test anxiety but I suspect it might be an issue when it's time to take the ACT or an AP test. You know, the ones that matter. :) But she does just fine for tests in her classes.

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Well project bribery WAS helpful.  He only has three sections left to go.  I think he'll probably get through two today and finish the last on Monday.  I got him McDs and let him eat on my desk while testing (it's a computerized test and he takes it at my desk).  It put him in a better mood anyway.

 

 

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I have one who is the opposite. She took the ACT cold, no prep, and said it was invigorating and she can’t wait to do it again! I’m not sure all is right with the child.

 

I felt that way after the GRE.  It was fun and well, invigorating.  All those logic puzzles and stuff.  Good times, really.

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I made it optional for my DD, and told her that if she doesn't understand something, feel free to "Christmas Tree" the test.

 

She chose to take it last year because her enrichment program makes them stay home the full testing period of several weeks if they don't. And her math scores were completely invalid.

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I have one who is the opposite. She took the ACT cold, no prep, and said it was invigorating and she can’t wait to do it again! I’m not sure all is right with the child.

 

I've always been like that. Even the bar exam was kind of fun.

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I made it optional for my DD, and told her that if she doesn't understand something, feel free to "Christmas Tree" the test.

 

She chose to take it last year because her enrichment program makes them stay home the full testing period of several weeks if they don't. And her math scores were completely invalid.

 

If I had a choice, I would not require it.  I feel like it is a complete waste of time.

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