Do you think standardized testing provides an accurate assessment of spelling ability

[Penelope]

In your experience, did the standardized testing correlate with how well your children spell on a daily basis?

 

I was a little disappointed in my child's spelling results. His spelling has vastly improved, and I've given him a few spelling tests that indicate he is at grade level or slightly above. Yet the test doesn't show this.

 

Apparently he has trouble visually picking out incorrectly spelled words, but is that spelling ability, or mostly editing?

 

We used the ITBS, which has lists of words, and they choose which one (or none) is spelled correctly.

[Dmmetler]

I think editing and being able to construct correct spelling from scratch are two different skills. My DD is very, very good at editing, and loves finding misspellings-but unless she's explicitly learned a rule as to WHY, she often can't explain anything beyond it "Looks wrong" and can get very frustrated in trying to figure out how to correct the word.

[khall]

Being a good speller, and knowing that a word is spelled incorrectly are two different skills. I find the spelling section on standardized tests hilarious. Both of my children are horrific spellers, but they are voracious readers and do great on the spelling section of standardized tests. They can tell that a word "doesn't look right", but they have no idea how to actually spell it.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I don't think testing accurately addresses anything except the ability to take a standardized test.

 

Testing always comes back the same here. Ahead in the areas I know they are ahead; behind where I know they are behind; and on level where they are on level.

 

I have looked at scores and thought about addressing certain areas more closely.

[RootAnn]

It is actually proofreading ability.

 

My sister, who is a "natural speller," can look at a word and tell you if it is spelled correctly or not. She spells very well. She's a great proofreader, too. Her results on this section of the ITBS would match her spelling ability. (I think they did, in fact.)

 

I can't tell by looking if a word I'm not very familiar with is spelled correctly. Heck, sometimes words I'm very familiar with will look incorrect when they really are right! I'm not a natural speller. My results on this section might or might not match my spelling ability. (I seem to remember I didn't do too badly on this section although my spelling grades were frequently poor in the lower grades.)

 

I don't think the ITBS's method of picking out the incorrectly-spelled word is a good indication of spelling. In fact, my oldest might just do very well on the ITBS's spelling section despite her low spelling ability. Your mileage may vary.

[Tammyla]

No

 

I'm not thrilled with the ITBS spelling section; it throws a number of kids. :iagree: That it's more editing than actual spelling, but it is what it is:tongue_smilie:.

[Ellie]

Well, the results will tell you only how your dc scored compared with the children who were the normed group. That he couldn't recognize misspelled words doesn't necessarily mean he can't spell well on his own.

 

OTOH, it sounds as if it's a skill he needs to work on. Which is one of the things we can use test results for: identifying what our dc need to work on. Now you know. :-)

[Mom0012]

Being a good speller, and knowing that a word is spelled incorrectly are two different skills. I find the spelling section on standardized tests hilarious. Both of my children are horrific spellers, but they are voracious readers and do great on the spelling section of standardized tests. They can tell that a word "doesn't look right", but they have no idea how to actually spell it.

 

:iagree: Uh, yes, this is where we are. My son will ace the spelling section of a test that lists words and he has to find the misspelled one. That doesn't mean he can spell the word. So, OP, I would count yourself lucky if your child can actually spell the words but isn't as great at editing.

 

Lisa

[Penelope]

 

OTOH, it sounds as if it's a skill he needs to work on. Which is one of the things we can use test results for: identifying what our dc need to work on. Now you know. :-)

 

 

Hoping you will see this, but if anyone else wants to help me think about this, feel free to jump in!

 

Would you recommend an editing program, then? Or something else?

 

And I'm wondering if I need to shore up his spelling skills for another year or so first, before I have him look at a bunch of wrong spellings on a regular basis. We did a small amount of editing with one of the Evan Moor books last year (second grade), but he has obviously never been a natural speller and I started to think that maybe Charlotte Mason had it right, that we should carefully avoid having the children see the incorrect spelling so that it doesn't get imprinted on their brain.

 

I guess I don't know if it is something I need to work on now, or later, or if it is an issue that is giving him difficulty with spelling in the first place that I need to work on from a completely different direction, not just editing at some point.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Penelope

[RootAnn]

What grade level are we talking about? Second? Fifth?

 

IMO, better to work on phonics/spelling in the lower grades. As they get older, it helps to have them be able to proofread. My oldest still does spelling, but since she finished her writing/grammar program early, she's doing Editor In Chief Beginning (3rd-4th grade level) for some of that editing/proofreading stuff (spelling, grammar, letter forms, etc.).

 

Just editing their own original writing work can be a good learning opportunity. Find the mistakes (then let Mom find all the rest), look up the words in the dictionary, look up the proper capitalization, punctuation, grammar forms in a style book, etc. Oldest will be better at some of this after completing EIC for when I make her do this for Writing Tales 2 in the fall.

[Penelope]

Thanks!

 

I forgot to mention the grade. Third grade.

[NanceXToo]

My daughter didn't do POORLY on the spelling portion of her test this year, but she did not do as well as I thought she would based on how well she spells in general, so I know what you mean!