Do you test in one way or another for every subject?

[SparklyUnicorn]

There are some subjects where I'm thinking it'll be good enough to read and maybe write a paper or something.  I wouldn't know what to test on.  Or I would only be testing on some random stuff. 

 

Is this a bad idea? WDYT?

 

 

[Pegasus]

We rarely test.

[Laura Corin]

We would/did but there are no transcripts in the UK, so you (almost) have to use public exams.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Laura Corin

[SparklyUnicorn]

We would/did but there are no transcripts in the UK, so you have to use public exams.

 

Yeah I do have to do a standardized test every year.  I don't think most colleges will care about that, but it is a homeschool regulation requirement.

 

Otherwise, there is nothing that says I have to test at all.

[LisaKinVA]

It depends upon the course.

 

All of my kids have some courses with tests, and some without.

 

Classes without or mostly without:

Bible

History (unless AP, in which tests are part of the preparation

English (especially where composition is the main thrust)

Art

 

Classes with regular testing:

Math

Science

Spelling/Vocab

Foreign Language

Any AP level thus far

 

Electives? It depends on the course. Robotics 2 will have lots of projects, Digital Photography will be project based, too. Keyboarding has tests.

[regentrude]

I test math, physics, chemistry.

In all other subjects that receive a letter grade, I let them write papers.

 

[EKS]

I give tests for math and science (and the tutor gives them for German).  Occasionally I've given tests in literature just to have something to grade (when there has been no other output on a book that we've read, for example).  I've never given a history test in 13 years of homeschooling.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Dd will have tests in math and Spanish.  She'll have essay exam type questions in some of her content subjects, as much to practice that very common form of testing as for any other reason. I don't anticipate assigning a grade to those, if they aren't A-worthy she would have to redo them. Otherwise, papers, readings, discussions, oral presentations etc. would be the basis for the grade.

[Liza Q]

Tests for Spelling, Math and Science. Discussion and papers and an occasional multiple choice/short answer test for History. Discussion and papers only for Literature. No tests, just review, review, review for Foreign Language, Grammar and Vocabulary.

[Reefgazer]

We've only been homeschooling 3 years (middle school), so take this with a grain of salt.  But I don't test on anything except math and foreign language.  I started out testing, but the weirdest thing happened...My kids seem to learn just as well without the testing.  So we're heading into high school with no plans for testing anything except foreign language and math. 

[hornblower]

I never tested dd & the only tests ds has done have been the ones bundled into his math program. I wouldn't say he takes these tests very seriously per se & he often makes them open book.

We do talk a lot about test taking strategies & he's seeing how dd prepares for her exams in post-sec. I plan to give him more practice in test taking but more for the sake of learning that skill, rather than assessing whatever learning he's doing.

What I do encourage a lot of though is self-testing. Can you explain it to me? Can you explain it in your own words? Can you imagine what question a prof would pose & how you would answer it. Self testing is a documented way of improving learning: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/sunday-review/studying-for-the-test-by-taking-it.html?smid=tw-share

[EndOfOrdinary]

We started testing only because Ds has test anxiety. Since I know tests are not going to go away (for any outsourced class, college, AP, etc) I felt like it was a rather large disservice for high stakes testing to be the only real practice.

 

So we test in science, math, literature, history, Latin, Spanish. Previously spelling and grammar were also tested, but we aren't using those this year.

 

Next year, outsourced classes begin in earnest so he will be tested in those and the grades will actually count. They have never actually counted for me. It was just to get into good testing habits, have practice, learn about timing, all that stuff.

[MEmama]

DS requested more testing this year.

We test math, spelling and science, and when we get far enough into Latin I'll probably lightly test there as well.

[snowbeltmom]

I don't give my kids tests in any of our "home-brewed" classes because they learn to mastery.  They do take standardized tests, though, that validates their learning for the purpose of college admissions.

[Mom22ns]

No. I used tests in math, science and history. There were some elective that had tests, but some didn't. In English grades came exclusively from papers.

[lllll]

nm

Edited April 20, 2016 by _ ?^..

[elegantlion]

I did some kind of test in most subjects - although some of the tests were oral-type exams. I found a rubric for grading them and used it a lot. (sorry can't remember where). 

 

In computer programming (he did 1 credit), he would make little projects and show me. the test was he had to explain what it was and how he made it, so that I would understand, me the person who knows nothing about programming. I was inspired by an quote, I think from Einstein, who said you never really understand something until you can explain it in its simplest terms. 

[Vida Winter]

In elementary grades I test in math, science, and Latin. We use dictation which is a test in its own way. Other subjects, like geography and grammar, no. The daily work builds on itself and we can move through more quickly if we dispense with tests. In high school we have been using more frequent, shorter quizzes rather than major semester-end tests. Outsourced courses of course have their own exams and schedules.

[happypamama]

Thus far, through grade eight, we have only had tests in math, and only for the kid who uses Saxon. Everything else we discuss or correct as needed.

 

Oh, no, I did give DD some grammar tests in middle school. I had her do the chapter tests to see if she understood the material or if we needed to review more.