Testing Homeschoolers

When I started Homeschooling my son, I was curious as to what homeschoolers did in the way of testing their children. After all, you need to know what grade they are, right? You need to know if your child steadilyy moves along in their studies, and if your child grasps the concepts. This led to questioning the use of testing, and even more surprisingly, the lack of testing most parents do for their homeschooled children.

Most testing done in the public school system is to measure a child's knowledge in order to move to the next stage of learning. Other tests maintain criteria for the school, to which they receive funding if students maintain certain predetermined test scores. Homeschooling, on the other hand, does not demand the same rules. We don't receive funding, nor do we follow the same school year schedules, or even grading as what the public counterparts are required to follow.

Most parents already understand what their child understands on the subject matter they cover. I can tell you what my son knows and where his weaknesses lie based on the work we do every day. I don't necessarily need a test to know this. I do, however, quiz and conduct tests now and then for my own records. I appreciate a score to mark his accomplishments.

I also test my son with assessments I find online to determine how far he is in his education. I want to know where he would be should he return to the public school system, what grade level he's at, and where his weaknesses lie. Testing my son is for me, not him. In fact, I tell him to simply answer honestly as he can. If he doesn't understanding something or simply doesn't know, then I need to know this. A low grade isn't something to be ashamed of; you need to cover the material again or try another approach.

It saddens me that tests in school are mostly for measurement of knowledge. Bad grades are punishable by both the teacher and the parent. My own mother would punish me for low grades, and some schools remove the student from extra-curricular activities until they bring up the scores. Instead of seeing a

challenge to strengthen a weakness, its seen as simply as a weakness. Many tests give no opportunity to correct mistakes. Many low grades simply go on record and the student must move on, whether they understood the material or not.

The no-test philosophy is too difficult for me to break, including other orthodox educational practices instilled into me. I admit to needing to test my son, to maintaining him at an educational level of his peers, but I recognize that is my need, and not a necessity. The test results also don't enter the portfolio, nor do they serve any purpose other than letting my son know how well he did. I can also explain to him where his weaknesses are compared to his strengths, adding that mommy also has weaknesses (such as math, and that is why my husband teaches that subject), while my strengths lie in language arts and history.

Most assessment tests, by the way, test only reading and math. Its difficult to find a grade 3 science or history assessment test. My son scored a grade higher than his peers for reading comprehension, he's a bit behind in math, and he's where he should be for language arts. From his test I made him based on all subjects, he scored an A, which also illustrated how he grasps dates in history so much better than I ever did.

The experience taught me how to consider and even question testing my son. I recognize that many homeschoolers don't bother. Most states have no demand let alone expectation of parents to test. For myself, however, I believe testing should be a tool- nothing more.