amyrobynne Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 We started BA 3A yesterday and we both love it, but I realized it has no tests/assessments. I'm pretty okay with it, particularly since we'll be using it concurrently with Singapore, but it seems sort of odd. I'm used to Saxon's weekly assessments, which seem like overkill. My only concern is that since I expect to help my son with the really tricky stuff, it might be good to have a "no help zone" set of problems where I can see how much he can do. For now, he's getting all the non-starred problems right by himself and the BA people on FB said that showed sufficient understanding. Maybe I'm still getting used to the differences between school and homeschooling. I was planning to switch my middle son to Beast only after he finishes SM2B in a year or so but I feel less confident about it if there aren't assessments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Can you use the pre-assessments for the next level? That's what I do with Singapore (placement test at end of book = test). I don't feel like I need a weekly test or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Since I don't test my kids in any subjects, I didn't even notice. :D I know where they're at since I work with them all day everyday. I don't feel the need to test...yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrobynne Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 Can you use the pre-assessments for the next level? That's what I do with Singapore (placement test at end of book = test). I don't feel like I need a weekly test or anything. Ooh, I like that! I agree on weekly tests being over-the-top. I guess I mostly want to make sure that early material is being retained months later. Doing the next year's preassessment would show where the holes are and I could go back over those things during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 The thing about math is, doesn't it build upon itself? So if you don't know area and perimeter (or it wasn't retained), it is going to be obvious when you get to 3B multiplication problems with area and perimeter, and again in 3C with area and perimeter division problems. The calculations of large numbers are used daily in various problems. I don't know, I just don't see how you could do BA without retaining the info, it wouldn't be possible to progress. Maybe that is different from other programs? There is not much fact drill at all though, so maybe that is what you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrobynne Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 The thing about math is, doesn't it build upon itself? So if you don't know area and perimeter (or it wasn't retained), it is going to be obvious when you get to 3B multiplication problems with area and perimeter, and again in 3C with area and perimeter division problems. The calculations of large numbers are used daily in various problems. I don't know, I just don't see how you could do BA without retaining the info, it wouldn't be possible to progress. Maybe that is different from other programs? There is not much fact drill at all though, so maybe that is what you mean? Ah--I haven't looked extensively at what's included in 3B-3D, so I assumed that area and perimeter wouldn't be covered much after the 3A chapter. The massive amount of review in Saxon was boring my son but I'm glad to hear BA has found a nice middle ground there. Lack of drill I can supplement with Xtramath or math games -- those are easier to know if they understand, I think. It's the wackier interesting stuff I'm less sure of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I am not concerned about the lack of tests. We did MEP before BA and didn't test in that curriculum either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelsi Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Until this post it never occurred to me that there weren't any tests. We don't do tests though for anything so that would probably be why. We're using BA as a supplement right now and MUS is our main math curriculum in which I always have ds do the review pages so he's constantly being reminded of things he's done in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Honestly, I don't feel that tests are necessary, at least at this level. I don't even use the tests in SM (although I did for a time because my kids actually enjoyed them, but that's neither here nor there where this argument is concerned :lol:). In my mind, tests are useful tools for teachers because (a) they have so many kids that they don't necessarily know how each child is doing individually, and (b) they have to assign grades and move on to the next topic. What? You get a C and we're moving on! Not here. Here, I know how you're doing because I'm next to you when you're doing it, checking your progress daily (sometimes by the minute :tongue_smilie:) and correcting you immediately. There is no C here. There is only an A here. And I don't need a graded test to give you that A, just the knowledge that you have mastered the material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Honestly, I don't feel that tests are necessary, at least at this level. I don't even use the tests in SM (although I did for a time because my kids actually enjoyed them, but that's neither here nor there where this argument is concerned :lol:). In my mind, tests are useful tools for teachers because (a) they have so many kids that they don't necessarily know how each child is doing individually, and (b) they have to assign grades and move on to the next topic. What? You get a C and we're moving on! Not here. Here, I know how you're doing because I'm next to you when you're doing it, checking your progress daily (sometimes by the minute :tongue_smilie:) and correcting you immediately. There is no C here. There is only an A here. And I don't need a graded test to give you that A, just the knowledge that you have mastered the material. :iagree: I guess I sort of do my own little "tests" along the way in every subject, as we go along. I know exactly where my kids are and what they need reinforced. We treat BA as a supplement and "fun math", so the lack of tests didn't concern me. You can always come up with your own test problems if it is a concern. I think as you work through the problems you can see where there are strengths and/or weaknesses, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Agreed. I never do tests in elementary school. The whole idea of "testing" an elementary student seems horrid to me! At this age, homeschool should be a shared adventure of exploring and learning new and interesting things, not jumping through hoops for a grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Doesn't bother me either. As pp state we kind of access as we go. I'm always right there so I can see any places he struggles. I'm trying to figure out when and how much we might want to practice facts as we have been doing RSD but we are running across too much that is stuff he already knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 :iagree: I guess I sort of do my own little "tests" along the way in every subject, as we go along. I know exactly where my kids are and what they need reinforced. We treat BA as a supplement and "fun math", so the lack of tests didn't concern me. You can always come up with your own test problems if it is a concern. I think as you work through the problems you can see where there are strengths and/or weaknesses, kwim? :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Since I don't test my kids in any subjects, I didn't even notice. :D I know where they're at since I work with them all day everyday. I don't feel the need to test...yet. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fractalgal Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 We started BA 3A yesterday and we both love it, but I realized it has no tests/assessments. I'm pretty okay with it, particularly since we'll be using it concurrently with Singapore, but it seems sort of odd. I'm used to Saxon's weekly assessments, which seem like overkill. My only concern is that since I expect to help my son with the really tricky stuff, it might be good to have a "no help zone" set of problems where I can see how much he can do. For now, he's getting all the non-starred problems right by himself and the BA people on FB said that showed sufficient understanding. Maybe I'm still getting used to the differences between school and homeschooling. I was planning to switch my middle son to Beast only after he finishes SM2B in a year or so but I feel less confident about it if there aren't assessments. You could write your own assessments by choosing one or two problems from the previous sections. It may also give you an idea of what is being retained and act as a review for him. We use BA as a supplement, so I have not written assessments for my son. Good luck. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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