Halcyon Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 My oldest is taking his very first standardized test this week (at home) and we just finished Day 1 of testing! I get nervous around standardized tests but he actually looked up in the middle of the test and said "This is really fun!!" How glad am I that my testing anxiety has not extended to my (otherwise somewhat anxious) son. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 That's great! My daughter enjoyed hers this year, too. I think it is the novelty of it. Plus, she reads fast so she finished most sections early and it was shorter than school. My sons, on the other hand, did not really enjoy his...it took a bit longer than his normal school and he did not like the bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Wonderful! Glad he is enjoying it! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I just got back from posting my son's standardized test (CAT, by the way) at the post office. YAY! The parts he knew fairly well, he liked; the parts he didn't know well, he didn't like; and he was sick of it by the end. About what I remember from taking them myself. Note: Taking a standardized test is a state requirement, with the rules under which we're homeschooling. But he only has to "make" at least the fourth stanine, (better than 23% of those who normed the test,) so I think we'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 I just got back from posting my son's standardized test (CAT, by the way) at the post office. YAY! I look forward to that feeling Friday afternoon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I just got back from posting my son's standardized test (CAT, by the way) at the post office. YAY! The parts he knew fairly well, he liked; the parts he didn't know well, he didn't like; and he was sick of it by the end. About what I remember from taking them myself. Well, did he bawl his eyes out during the section he didn't like as my dd did? She only answered 4 questions in reading comprehension, and still managed to get in the 2nd stanine (we did online, so the results are in already). The amazing thing is that she did manage to compose herself and continue with the rest of the test, and even managed one section in the 9th stanine...in an area where I feel she's really shaky! I was expecting more tears, but she nailed it! :D Halcyon, congrats on not passing the test anxiety along! Seems like I have, and I love tests. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 Well, did he bawl his eyes out during the section he didn't like as my dd did? She only answered 4 questions in reading comprehension, and still managed to get in the 2nd stanine (we did online, so the results are in already). The amazing thing is that she did manage to compose herself and continue with the rest of the test, and even managed one section in the 9th stanine...in an area where I feel she's really shaky! I was expecting more tears, but she nailed it! :D Halcyon, congrats on not passing the test anxiety along! Seems like I have, and I love tests. :svengo: Aw. I feel forr her-I hated tests growing up, although I usually ended up doing just fine. I just hated that feeling of pressure! That's why, this year, DH was the parent in charge of the (nominal) test prep work with my older-he made it fun, and older looked forward to it as a time to "homeschool with Dad" (which rarely happens!) A few more day and we'll be done. Keeping fingers crossed that it all continues to go well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Well, did he bawl his eyes out during the section he didn't like as my dd did? She only answered 4 questions in reading comprehension, and still managed to get in the 2nd stanine (we did online, so the results are in already). The amazing thing is that she did manage to compose herself and continue with the rest of the test, and even managed one section in the 9th stanine...in an area where I feel she's really shaky! I was expecting more tears, but she nailed it! :D Halcyon, congrats on not passing the test anxiety along! Seems like I have, and I love tests. :svengo: No, actually, although when we hit the part he didn't know (phonics as tested by the vowel sounds in the middle of a word), he knew he didn't know it and got kind of upset. And that was the first test we did! He, too, rallied, and seemed to do well for the rest of his test. (Hey, we're starting All About Spelling soon, so my son will learn what that whole thing was about. Plus, it isn't like he didn't know how to pronounce the words; he just didn't understand how to segment out the vowel sound. He did well enough on the reading comprehension and fill-in-the-blanks parts, anyhow. Errors there were more due to carelessness, I think. Just in case you were wondering why I don't seem to be worried about my son not knowing his phonics.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Just in case you were wondering why I don't seem to be worried about my son not knowing his phonics.) Who am I to wonder. My child can't read, nor comprehend English apparently. ;) Halcyon, yes, you probably should feel sorry for her. I was sitting next to her and after a minute or two, I realized she was crying. My reaction? "What are you crying for?" said incredulously. "It's just a test. We don't even report in this state! Just give it a go!" Epic fail as a homeschool Mom. :thumbdown: I'll be thinking good thoughts for your son the rest of the week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Who am I to wonder. My child can't read, nor comprehend English apparently. ;) Halcyon, yes, you probably should feel sorry for her. I was sitting next to her and after a minute or two, I realized she was crying. My reaction? "What are you crying for?" said incredulously. "It's just a test. We don't even report in this state! Just give it a go!" Epic fail as a homeschool Mom. :thumbdown: I'll be thinking good thoughts for your son the rest of the week! Thank you, I really appreciate it :) I think, for kids like your daughter, having someone who can do some test prep with them in a fun, light way is key (impossible you say? LOL Really, it's possible. My DH jokes with my son when he makes an error and my son thinks it's really fun. I would have thought this would mean he wouldn't take the test seriously, but quite the contrary: he seems mentally prepared yet not too anxious. Of course, he hasn't encountered anything "tough" yet--so we shall see.) I didn't do test prep with my son for fear of infecting him with my test anxiety. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Thank you, I really appreciate it :)I think, for kids like your daughter, having someone who can do some test prep with them in a fun, light way is key (impossible you say? LOL Really, it's possible. My DH jokes with my son when he makes an error and my son thinks it's really fun. I would have thought this would mean he wouldn't take the test seriously, but quite the contrary: he seems mentally prepared yet not too anxious. Of course, he hasn't encountered anything "tough" yet--so we shall see.) Absolutely! It's good advice. Now that we've both seen how the CAT goes, I think it'll be fine from here on out, esp. with following your advice. I'm already the class clown. (really) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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