If you use MM5 or higher

[ScoutTN]

do you use the tests? Why or why not?

 

I haven't to this point because I think the end of chapter review is enough. Dd catches math concepts quickly and if she needs practice with something I use the worksheet generator.

 

But my Dd will likely have online class for Prealgebra next year (with the Dolciani text) and I am wondering if I should start using the tests just to get he used to taking them. One less new thing for next year. 

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

No.  Why?  I guess because I think what is in the text/work book is more than enough.

 

 

[Momto6inIN]

I do use them. With my older DD it's because she spent several years in public school and is used to that method of measuring her mastery over the material. With my younger DD I use them because I like to see how she does completely on her own without me walking her through the directions and the steps of the problems during the actual teaching time. Sometimes (not often but every once in a while) issues crop up where I thought she got something when we were going through the lessons together but on the test it turns out she had a misunderstanding of a concept.

[blue plaid]

Yes we use them. I want my kids to have practice taking tests. Also as pp said I like an additional

data point on whether my kids understand and can work the problems accurately and with no help. Finally, I can keep the tests with my records and eventually recycle the day to day work😀.

[IsabelC]

My girls are both working on MM5 and we have never used the end of chapter tests, as I can tell from the review lessons whether they understand all the material. We do use the end of year tests to measure whether they are ready to move to the next level. But I would agree that for a student who is going to be attending school, it might be helpful to get her used to being tested more frequently.

[Elizabeth 2]

I do because we cant guarantee where school will be in the future. Knowing how to test and that it could be a deciding factor in certain life courses is important for my kiddos to learn starting about age 10. I just want them to take them seriously. So we do the review. This shows holes in learning. Reteach where needed. Then the cumulative review. Then the test. My requirement is 85% or better to move on. If not they are required to reprint that chapter and rework it all to 95% or better on every page. If I had a child that struggled with math concepts I wouldn't do this. But in high school and college, if one fail tests because one doesnt put in the effort, courses must be repeated. It has worked wonders on motivation.

[MotherOfBoys]

We have never used the tests. We use the chapter reviews as tests because they are a larger sample of the chapter. We are on mm6 now and are starting to consider using the tests as a review (spiral) approach. For example, we are finishing mm6 chapter 2 on tuesday so after chapter 3 review I might pull out chapter 1 or 2 test as a quick review.

 

Also, we do a Let's Go Learn Adam test in April every year to make sure he's retaining. Oh, and for full disclosure we are using the non updated mm1-6, before mm7 was published.