Homeschool Test-taking
There are a lot of homeschooling parents who simply do not understand why they need to bother with grading their children’s schoolwork. Well, the short answer to this question is because you need to know if your children are actually learning and if they are keeping up with other children who are their same age. Of course, there are numerous ways in which you can find out if your children are actually learning what you are teaching them in their lessons. However, standardized testing is the best way in which to discover if your children are learning what their peers are also learning. Many of these standardized tests are actually subject specific. Using these tests will help you, the homeschooling parent, determine what subjects your children need to spend more time on. It is also a good idea to get your children use to taking tests now because if they decide that they want to go to college later on, they will have to take either the SATs or ACTs. These tests are best suited for students who are already experienced with taking tests wherein they are pressed for time.
Taking time to grade your children’s progress includes giving them an occasional test. Most children will find that tests are a waste of their time. There are a lot of ways in which homeschooling parents can make taking tests more enjoyable for their children. One way is to mix play with testing. Another way is to reward the child, with something that he/she really wants, whenever they get a really good grade on their test. Homeschooling parents can also explain to their children the reason that tests are used is because the parent wants to see what the child needs more help with. Another reason for testing is so that children can learn how to properly react to pressure, failure, and success. These things need to be evaluated since they influence your child, especially when it comes to their values. Tests can also be used to help children learn from their mistakes.
If you are still not convinced that you should be testing your homeschool children, then you should consider how teachers and school officials view testing. While each person who is affiliated with the school will have a different idea in regards to why tests are important for children, they will all agree that they are a necessary way in which to monitor a child’s progress. This gauge will allow you to know where your children need help, as well as in which areas they excel. Listening to these school officials may help you to have a better understanding of the necessity of testing.
Of course, there are still a lot of homeschooling parents who find that testing is unnecessary. This is one of the reasons why they have decided to homeschool their children instead of sending them to public or private schools. Ultimately, the decision as to whether or not to test your children is up to you in the end. Nevertheless, you should simply consider the reasons why testing is a good thing before simply dismissing the idea all together.
