Standardized Testing

[skirch]

Testing isn't required in our state but one of the local homeschool groups holds an annual testing day. I had never thought about testing my dd since I know she's doing well academically. Some say we should test anyway so that she could know what testing is like and be used to it when the time comes that she will need to take a timed test - ACT, SAT, etc. I had never given it any thought before but now I'm wondering.

 

Do you think kids should "know how to test"? Or if you never tested, were your kids lost when the time came? I'm just curious.

[Kathryn]

I don't think it's necessary to do every year beginning in elementary just so they can do well on SATs or ACTs, but I'd have them take one before one that "counts."

[kohlby]

We wait until 3rd grade as the minimum age.  Then, we started with the PASS by Hewitt for my eldest.  This is an untimed, at-home, parent-administered test.  So, it was less stressful for his first testing experience than many.  In 4th grade, he did CTY testing - so above grade level testing, timed, at a testing center, and on a computer.  I think kids should know how to test - especially kids like mine who don't take tests as a part of homeschooling - but that doesn't mean they need a lot of exposure or to start at a young age.  I may wait until higher than 3rd grade for my middle child since she gets stressed very easily.  My eldest did well so I'm not overly concerned.  At this point, we'll likely only test with practice SAT's or ACT's until he starts taking them officially. 

 

*My middle child did take a math test as part of a competition at the start of this year through Mathnasium.  She is in 2nd grade.  It was the very first time she had ever taken a test, since we don't have tests in our homeschooling.  I thought it was good for that reason and she wanted to do it.  Despite her issues with stress and always wanting me by her side, she did wonderfully.  It was a great confidence booster - mainly for the fact that she left my side and did a timed test with zero issues. 

[MEmama]

DS hasn't taken one yet (not required in our state) but I'm thinking about it for this year. I know academically he's well above the curve, but I suspect he won't be a good test taker (because answers are always obvious to him, he tends to make the questions more complicated than they should be). It's probably time for him to get some gentle exposure.

 

Definitely following for ideas on which tests to look at...

[PuddleJumper1]

I think there is a lot of merit in letting a child take a few standardized tests before the ones that count come along. Especially if they don't count for your state. Your child would get the experience without the pressure right now. We have had our children sit for the ITBS in a group setting but we have also done the CAT through Seton which we can give ourselves here at home.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Yes, knowing how to test is a worthwhile skill set. NJ has no requirements, but we've done the ITBS at the end of each year - at first, all un-timed. Now we time, but still keep it low-key, doing only about 90 min a day over 4 days.

[ScoutTN]

Yes, my kids will do some testing. Our umbrella school uses the Terra Nova. We won't do it every year and 3rd grade will be the earliest. Test taking is definitely a skill and a little practice - especially in a classroom full of other kids - is a good thing. I do not want my kids to get to tests that really count in high school without being very comfortable with the process. I had a little practice every week in high school, a page each of math and language, and it definitely helped me to do well. 

[G5052]

I live in a state where I submit scores every year.  I tested at home until around 4th grade and did group testing after that, partially so they'd be ready for PSAT/SAT/ACT time and partially to help us get it done.  We did the CAT-E from Seton in 1st and 2nd, then the PASS from Hewitt, and then the Stanford in group testing.

 

Frankly it never, ever has told me anything I didn't already know.  If I didn't have to do it, I would have put it off until middle school.  It always takes time and money that I don't seem to have enough of.

 

Now with teens, they either use the PSAT/SAT/ACT or I test at home with the CAT-E.  They're not phased at all with group testing, and I don't see the need to do anything more than the minimum.

[SebastianCat]

My kids are 11 and 9 and will take a standardized test in a group testing environment for the first time this year.   Testing is not required in our state and the ONLY reason I'm doing it is for them to have experience with standardized tests.    My 11 year old has never had any sort of test anxiety but my 9 year old has, so I'm starting the younger one a bit early just so she has extra practice.   The ladies who do the testing offer several different tests but we opted with the CAT-5 survey because it's the shortest.   We may do the ITBS or SAT-10 at some point in the future.

 

I don't expect the tests to tell me anything I don't already know.    But we have started doing a test prep book in a very low-key way (one page per day, jumping around different subjects) and we've had some very interesting conversations as a result.   There are topics in the test prep book that we haven't covered in our homeschool, so I consider it a valuable learning experience in itself.

[Pen]

We live in a state that does require testing. I think it is a mixed bag. I do think it helps keep some students from falling through gaps so to speak. But the official testing also takes time away from other activities more than I would have expected. And the biggest problem was a sense of testing is done so the school year should be over...even though it was not when the testing took place actually the end.

 

If you have a way to do it that is easy and arranged for you, it could be a useful experience, and you could decide whether positives outweigh negatives and you want to do it again or not.

[skirch]

Thanks y'all. I really never thought about taking it for practice but you all have made very good points!

[Ellie]

I only tested my dc twice. Both did just fine in college.

 

If you wanted to help your dc get used to testing for SAT/ACT/whatever purposes, you can do that when they are high school age; they don't need to do it every year for eight or nine years.

[duckens]

We will be testing starting in 3rd grade.  We have already started practicing using bubble sheets, and dd7 has learned a few strategies.

 

Perhaps I am premature, but this is how the SAT and ACT are administered., as well as public school tests (for the kids that return to public school) and professional licensing tests.  I consider this to be a communication skill, like public speaking, writing, typing, and computer skills.  You can be the most knowledgeable person in the room.  If you can't communicate it, it doesn't count [in most of society].  :sad:

 

If these tests were administered in French, all of our kids would be practicing the phrase, "Je vais prendre un test."  [i will take a test.]