How much do you "test"?

[Cammie]

I don't mean the required by the state testing. I mean, how much do you test in regular lessons? A weekly spelling test? Math tests? Final exams? No testing? Just wondering about the different approaches on this issue.

[TravelingChris]

NOt very much. Chapter tests in math plus cumulative tests. Unit tests in Spanish. QUarter final tests in science. Midterms and Finals in Government and Econ. No tests in history, literature, and writing. I don't have littles, though.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I test very little in the elementary years, mainly because I can see exactly how they are doing and what needs work. We do weekly spelling tests starting in 3rd grade. If math fact drills are tests we do those too, but I don't give grades for anything in those years. I just aim to get the child to desire to improve his mastery by competing against himself.

 

When they are older, I do more testing, especially on subjects that require certain skills like foreign language and math.

[JenC3]

Right now we do spelling tests and the assessments in Saxon. I'm just starting SOTW now and we will do any quizzes there as well.

[annabanana1992]

We do the test book with Singapore math and the built-in tests/quizzes in the Apples and Pears Spelling and Latin for Children workbooks. My kids came out of a brick and mortar classical school last year where my son averaged 6-7 tests per week. I am test phobic at this point!

[Ferdie]

We use BJU so my children take tests in math and science at the end of each chapter starting in 4th grade. The tests are closed book and they study for them. The math tests point out what my children really didn't understand. Sometimes they can complete homework, (open book) but not be able to figure out the same problem on a test because they really didn't undertand what they were doing. The science tests are great because they make us accountable for vocab words. My kids have to know their vocab before they take the science test so starting in 4th grade they make their own vocab cards and review them daily.

 

They also take spelling tests three times a week, (pre-test, trial test and final test). In English, (which is a combination of grammar and writing) they have a chapter and cummulative review at the end of each chapter. They don't study for the reviews though.

 

We use SOTW for history. I have the chapter tests for the series and we fill them out together as a family as a review game.

 

No tests for Bible, handwriting or reading. No mid-terms or finals either.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Ferdie

[MomOfOneFunOne]

We do three annual "special occasion" tests that I can think of right now: theory test (music), Iowa Test of Basic Skills (the end of the year standardized tests), and the National Latin Exam.

 

Her two online classes have several tests. For Latin that's every three or four chapter for the unit tests and a couple of quizzes per chapter. It's also through Latin that she takes the NLE. For Math, that's a test or two per semester.

 

Otherwise, I test very little. As a pp stated, I see where she is and what she knows and go from there. I do the Iowas b/c it's those standardized tests that will be important later on and I don't want her first time to be the the one that counts. I want her to already be very comfortable taking them and developing test taking skills b/f the ones that really count. My husband wants her to take them to confirmation that we're on the right track. The state doesn't care. OK doesn't require any testing.

 

Theory is not required by her violin teacher but it's offered locally and is competitive. My daughter likes to take it and get an award.

Edited April 7, 2010 by MomOfOneFunOne

[dirty ethel rackham]

Not much. In our Singapore books, we consider some of the review exercises as tests. Other than our outside classes, we don't test. I know if they know the material by our conversations.

[JudoMom]

We just started Sequential Spelling, and that's a test daily.

 

Saxon has tests after every 5 lessons, and we do those.

 

My oldest does the Rod & Staff English tests after every Unit.

 

My 2nd son did the CLE LA quizzes and tests until we dropped CLE.

 

If a program we use has a test or quiz built in, we do it.

[Guest]

None at all. I do so much reading and talking with my daughter, sit and do her algebra along with her, do joint science, etc. that I feel absolutely no need to burden her with tests at the moment (eighth grade). She has always liked having me set up pattern problems for her to solve, or having contests of memory on various things like countries of the world, or making codes for me to crack and vice versa. That's the kind of thing we do instead.

 

Ironically, though, she will make up pretend tests with ridiculous questions and answers for me and on occasion for various dolls or action figures.

[mycalling]

We only do once a week spelling and not all year, unless that certain child needs it. Oddly, my kids (except the one that's been to PS) actually like it! :001_huh: They even convinced me to do timed math drill tests for giggles a few times!

[Dawn in OH]

We do a weekly spelling test and then some quizzes at the end of a Science, History or Literature unit. The quizzes are really short and basically serve 2 purposes: 1) something to show for the subject and 2) just to make sure they got something out of the unit.

[myfunnybunch]

I test very little in the elementary years, mainly because I can see exactly how they are doing and what needs work.

 

Same here. It just hasn't been necessary beyond math reviews and spelling.

 

Cat

[plain jane]

I test a fair amount and keep record of the marks and just file them away each year. I'm not required to do so, so I'm not really sure why I do this; it's just one of those things I do. ;) There's nothing formal about them and I just build them into our weekly routine so there's no stress or pressure:

 

Horizons- tests every 10 lessons

Singapore- review portions are done as tests

Shurley English- has weekly tests on topics covered each week

spelling- weekly test (30 words) and monthly test for evaluation (it's a WRTR thing that I like to do)

History- use SOTW tests as closed-book tests done after the next chapter has been completed- this is just for me to see how much comprehension has stuck :tongue_smilie:

religion- unit test at end of each unit- some comp. questions, multiple choice, T/F (so only 4-5 of these per year)

reading- 2x weekly using McCall Crabbs reading books

 

I'm really low-key about all of this, but at the end of the year it makes ME feel better to have marks and such to look back on and if nothing else, helps me feel that I really am capable of doing this job. :tongue_smilie:

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I don't mean the required by the state testing. I mean, how much do you test in regular lessons? A weekly spelling test? Math tests? Final exams? No testing? Just wondering about the different approaches on this issue.

 

 

When my kids were the ages of your kids, I didn't test at all (except spelling). I added grammar tests in about 5th grade (Rod & Staff English). My oldest, now in 8th grade, takes unit/chapter tests in Grammar, Algebra, Latin, Science, and Logic.

[joannqn]

Spelling tests on Friday because they use a computer program to practice their words lists. If the program offered a teacher's report, I wouldn't even do that.

 

I do the final exam only for MUS.

 

We do standardized testing in May to complete our legal requirement.