Homeschooling and Standardized Testing
Standardized testing.
Other than “socialization”, are there any other words that will strike fear into our homeschooling hearts?
There are many homeschoolers who think that testing is not important and that tests ruins the child.
If that is the camp you fall in, you are definitely not going to like this post!
I fully understand that being an excellent test taker is not much more than a skill and does not define a person. I’ve known many kids, especially in the Asian community, who can churn out perfect test scores but can’t do much past that.
Yet, I am absolutely into testing.
Excelling on standardized tests was one of my top priorities for my homeschool.
I had two reasons for this.
Money and future classroom preparation.
Money
As a young homeschooling mom, I wasn’t even fully aware of the money that was tied to test scores.
Sure, I had heard of homeschooled kids getting full scholarships to colleges, but I actually thought it was because the kids must have been so awesomely gifted that it shone through their application. hahaha
No. It was the test scores. There are colleges that will give full scholarships (some even room and board) based on your scores. Up until a few years ago, my own alma mater, Drexel University, offered full tuition, room and board to National Merit Finalists.
Preparing for those tests is hard work but I cannot think of a better way for a kid to earn money. If you consider that tuition at a public university can run over 100K for 4 years, what job could a kid possibly have done during their teen years to earn that much money (net!)?
With homeschooling, parent-created transcripts, are required, but these are judged in the light of your child’s scores. If your child has A’s in algebra and geometry, yet has a 400 on the SAT math portion, mom grades are dismissed and everything you submit is suspect.
One mom I knew focused a great deal on the whole child educational experience that only homeschooling can offer throughout her child’s high school career. But, by the time college applications came around, because his scores were low there were many schools and opportunities that were closed to him.
They did not care what was in his portfolio.
They did not care about his recommendations.
They did not care about his essays.
They did not care about the awards he won (unless you are an Olympian).
They just wanted the scores first and because he did not have them, it was automatic rejection.
The mom told me if she could do it again, she would have focused more on test prep.
Future Class Preparation
One of the benefits of homeschooling, which is individualized education tailored for the child, can also be a huge hindrance once they start college. All of the sudden, your child who has been the sole student, is now in a classroom with dozens or maybe even hundreds of other kids.
That is a huge adjustment to make.
Although I did not want my kids in a conventional classroom full time, I did realize the importance of them learning how to excel in a classroom setting to prepare them for college.
One of my priorities was for them to learn how to focus and do work while surrounded by distraction. The way I saw it, isn’t this something they were going to do all during college? I remember taking finals that counted for half (!!!) of my semester grade in a huge auditorium filled with hundreds of people coming and going.
That’s just the way it is and especially in the wired world we live in today, the ability to work through distraction definitely gives a person an edge.
Testing Tips
Start testing early. They have to learn how to work through the noise and constant distractions other kids bring. When the kids are younger, there is so much going on with the other kids in a classroom. Kids getting up, goofing off, talking, playing games and much more. This gives you an opportunity to teach your children to focus and keep their attention on their test.
Teach them how to use every minute during a test. I still remember the first standardized test that my daughter took in fourth grade. Each time I peeked in the window, she was reading her book or snacking. When she was finished, I asked her how it went. She told me that she just wanted to get it done as fast as she could because the teacher had told her that she could read her book once she was done.
After that, I taught her how to use every single minute of the test to re-check her work until the time was up.
They also learn how to work within time limits. Homeschoolers naturally have less deadlines. I don’t think everything has to have a deadline, but it is certainly beneficial to learn how to work within limits. It makes you think quickly about how to budget your time and quickly plan a strategy.
And last but not least, when the kids are young, don’t go for the easiest standardized tests you can find. There are always many parents who ask which tests are the easiest and least stressful ones. But considering that the early tests don’t count toward their future, I urge you to try for the harder, longer tests. This mimics the SATs which can run from 3-4 hours.
I personally used the IOWAs until eighth grade. The IOWAs were long, it was spread out over two or three days. The results always gave great feedback and it had the added bonus of being the standardized test that my husband had used when he was a child. The familiarity gave him some comfort that his kids were on track.
High scores payoff with numerous benefits and opportunities, I only wish I had done more with my own kids!
Good luck!
