Exams: oral vs written

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  • January 12, 2013 at 12:40 am
    Tanya
    Participant

    I had a question regarding exams.  I know that when they are younger, oral exams are best.  Then as they get older, we move to written narrations.  What age is “older”?

    Right now, I have only done oral term exams with 11 yo (almost 12), 10 yo (recent b-day), and 7 yo.  I know my older two are probably capable of written – but I also know that the amount of info I get will significantly go down if I move to written.  For example, if I say “tell all you know about ____”, I will get an earful as they happily narrate what they know.  If I told them to “write all they know about_____”, I guarantee I will only get a couple of things.

    Written narrations seem to work okay on smaller assignments, but even that can be a struggle sometimes.  So, the idea of doing exams written makes me cringe…

    Advice?

    January 12, 2013 at 4:13 am
    Michaela
    Participant

    What is the reason you want them to move to written exams? For more writing practice, or for records, or…? I don’t have much advice, as mine are younger than yours, but if it’s for the purpose of keeping records, how about recording their voices? There is a neat app called Educreate that I sometimes use for narrations. It’s basically a white board and you can record sound as well as what you draw or write. I have a dd who loves to draw so she usually draws something while she talks about it. For example, she drew a ship while she narrated about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Or you could just use a regular recorder.

    I’m interested to see what others have to say, because I know this is something I’m going to have to give more thought to in the near future 🙂

    January 12, 2013 at 4:22 am
    Tanya
    Participant

    No, the purpose isn’t for recording. 

    I am just curious about the “how-to” aspect in a CM education.  I know that I’ve read that Charlotte advocated oral narrations while younger and then written as they get older, and this is for the everyday as well as for exams.  So, I just want to know what I should be moving towards goals-wise:  ages for this, how to encourage them to write as full of a narration as they would tell, etc.

    January 12, 2013 at 4:32 am
    JennNC
    Participant

    I currently do a mix of both oral and written for exams, and usually include a creative narration or two as well. I’m interested in what advice you’ll get though… interesting question. ~Jenn

    January 12, 2013 at 12:33 pm
    nebby
    Participant

    According to CM’s 3rd volume, around age 11 or 12 children are expected to begin writing all their exams. See this post (of mine):

    http://lettersfromnebby.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/cm-education-specifics/

    Honestly I expect most of us are not as rigorous as CM herself and might put it off a couple more years.

    Nebby

    January 12, 2013 at 2:47 pm
    TailorMade
    Participant

    Thanks for Sharing your link, Nebby. I really enjoyed reading your post. I’m hoping to begin and get through as much of CM Originals this year.

    My 12(13tomorrow!)yos has been learning the writing process this school year with simple lessons in previous years. With oral narration under his belt, I’m certain over yhe next few months he’d be capable of writing most narrations/examination question answers. However, the oral narrations will nit stop. These conversations are such an important part of developing the skills he will use in addressing others over his lifetime that I want to keep that in practice daily. By graduation, he will be able to handle “blue book” type exams quite well.

    Be encouraged through this process,

    Becca<><

    January 12, 2013 at 3:51 pm
    Tanya
    Participant

    Thank you to all of you.  I think I will start transitioning my oldest to maybe writing one or two answers and then orally on everything else.  As she gets used to that, I can continue to increase.

    JennNC – what do you mean by a “creative narration”?  Is that like a drawing or a model?

     

    January 12, 2013 at 7:17 pm
    JennNC
    Participant

    JennNC – what do you mean by a “creative narration”?  Is that like a drawing or a model?

    I like to use this list:
    http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/narration/

    Hth! 🙂

    January 12, 2013 at 7:32 pm
    Tanya
    Participant

    Thanks!  I’ve seen that list before and have used a couple of those ideas for “regular” narrations (although not as often as I could), but never thought of using them for exams.

     

    January 12, 2013 at 8:16 pm
    JennNC
    Participant

    I like to use them for regular daily narrations too, but I find I’m better at fitting them in on exam week when we generally have more time. And the kids really look forward to them…. I think I get some of their best work that way. 

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