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Questions about Final Exams SCM methods
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Please forgive me if this is a redundant question that has been already asked many times. I will gladly cross-reference any other forum discussions if they would save time trying to re-explain this topic to a new SCM uesr. I have been reviewing the discussions on “Assessing what your Child has Learned” and then methods recommended for exams and such. This is our first year to try the CM approach (for most of our sujects), and I am becoming more comfortable with narrations (oral only so far). My question is, how do we assess the “testing” forms of narrations, especially the finals? I think I understand the philosophy of narration, i.e. let the child express what he knows/has learned from his own perspective, and not mine (or a secular textbook’s perspective, the public school techer’s perspective etc). I guess what I am trying to say, is I don’t know how to tell if said “test narrations” pass or fail, since the only ones we are measuring up against are, well, ourselves and the kids! Does this make sense? I guess I am struggling from “fill in the bubble/blank” separtation anxiety. Our math (math u see) and spelling (Spelling Wisdom dd/Barton ds) are of course black and white when it comes to grading. The other subjects heve been primarily narrations (oral) and I have not really graded these as of yet since we (mom and dad) are still learning this process.. and the kids have not started/needed formal transcrits so far. Next year they (my son ) will need a transcrpt started, should he wish to go to college. Our Science (AIG) did come with a “test kit”, but when I look at the style (True/False, fill in blank etc) it is not CM, and reminds me of what I read in the SCM discussion about “regurgitating the fact but not really knowing it” statement. For example, my kids could probably do a fair narration about their Botony lesson (mitosis in plant cells), but fail the so called written test that came with the book, because the don’t easily remember ALL the details (ie 4 specific phases of mitisis and what happens during each). My kids have “learning differently” styles, and may not be college bound. I do want to hold myself accountable however, just in case they do want to try higher education (we have four years left with my oldest starting in fall).. I guess I just don’t know “who” or “what” standard/grading scale to compare MY kids’ “test and finals” narrations to, since each one is unique in their own interpretations of lesson materials and daily readings. In other words, how do they pass/fail using these methods, or is there such a thing? Does this make sense? Sorry if I idn’t expalin well, I’m not even really sure how to ask what I’m trying to ask!
My oldest is only 7th, so I haven’t been too concerned w/grades yet. She’s doing Apologia Gen. Science which is as you explained as far as testing. I do grade those because I want her to get in the habit of this type of studying for higher education (though I think narrations would probably be just as well or better for long term retention, of course!) Math is an easy one to grade for a transcript, of course. I get what you’re saying about narrations being difficult to grade. I’m not there yet (as far as grades for transcripts) and hope others chime in. I know I plan to assign x number of hours per week of each subject in order to count as a credit. As far as a grade for subjects like history and literature, as long as she completes all assigned work and does her best on written narrations and meets a certain length of narration, I think I’d give a favorable grade…but that’s probably too vague an answer. Sorry, I’m not there yet…hope you hear from the more experienced:) Blessings, Gina
I asked a similiar question regarding exams last week. Hopefully this thread will help you out!
Blessings,
Lindsey
Thank you for the thresd; it did help ! I guess my real nagging thing is, are they doing good enough, and compared to what? We recently had them “tested” at our local public school ( big mistake!) to see if we were at least on target for their appropriate grade levels. Well, as we hear so often, most HS kids are “way above level” when given these tests….ours were not. In fact, our kids were far behind acording to this “WRAT 3” they use to place HS kids back into public (we are NOT going back in spite of results). My son, who will be going into 9th next year, placed 7th grade for reading, 4th for spelling and 5th for math. My dd who will be going into 7th in fall, tested at 5th for both reading and spelling, and 3rd for math!! In their defense, this was a timed test. As I mentioned before, they are also “learning differently kids”, kids who would otherwise be getting Sped. if they were in public. We pulled them after we saw public was not working and sent them to a private christian school for 6 years, thinking the smaller classes and one on one would be far better than the Sped. they were NOT getting in public. No red flags or concerns were raised as these years went by, their grades were “oK”, not genius, but average at least. It was not until we decided to HS 2 years ago, that my eyes were opened to the truth; they were fulfilling the stetement I read about that “They cram to pass, not to know. They do pass, and don’t know.” I feel like we have so much to make up, and not enough time. I don’t want to become too “light” or relaxed; I want to grade fairly. I just wasn’t sure how you make a “grading scale” using CM and narrations, and does this change when they get into highschool? I want to believe they are doing the best they can, and that we should still strive for college if they want (too soon to tell). These test scores scare me and make me ask myself, am I doing good enough on my part? I don’t want to FAIL THEM as a teacher, but since we have no private CM groups around here (that I know of), I don’t have an “accountability” team to reference to. WE do have a local general support group, but quite honestly, these things intimidate me when I hear all the glorious achievements some of these are making with their kids. Now we are heading into highschool; I wish we could start all over but we can’t. We found HS and CM too late it seems.
I don’t think you can judge your kids’ progress based on a comparison of other kids their age/grade level. What your child has learned in the books might or might not be as much as their public school counterpart, but just the same, the public school counterpart may or may not have as much practical, life skills or common sense as your child. Same goes with other homeschooled children or private schooled children.
We are not part of any CM or other co-ops or classes. Our children are not involved in any outside homeschooling activities. They have their extracurriculars like baseball or taekwondo or ballet, but we don’t attend any science co-ops or anything like that. And I don’t feel I am failing my children because of that. I am able to judge for myself based upon my children’s vocabularies, reading and writing skills, social skills, responsibilities, habits, and confidence (or lack thereof) in various subject to know whether they are where I want them to be or not. I don’t compare our homeschool to public, private, or other homeschools, because there are always going to be areas where I don’t measure up and areas where I surpass the rest. As there are in your homeschool!
I would say that most kids are just “average” kids. “Most” kids aren’t going to test “way above level” not because they’re not smart or because their homeschool isn’t measuring up, but because they’re an average kid. If your children took the test and didn’t fail, then you’ve succeeded! You can see where they were weak and beef things up a bit in your studies, but really, what else can you do? If you start pushing and adding pressure, they’re only going to resist and possibly push back in a negative way.
According to the test you gave them, it looks like your 8th grader may need some extra help in spelling and math. So you provide the extra help. Maybe you need a different curriculum or maybe you need to have him do an extra 15-20 minutes of math per day for practice and mastery. Perhaps you need to change your approach. There could be a hundred different reasons why your child tested the way he did, but that doesn’t give you permission to start slapping yourself and thinking you’re a failure. You use this as an opportunity to realize your humanness and your need to grow as a teacher and mother. It’s not failure; it’s a learning and growing opportunity.
Comparison is the thief of joy. –Theodore Roosevelt
Blessings,
Lindsey
That quote is going to my mirror! Thank you for words of wisdom, will try not to over react about comparisons. I love my kids and know they are gifts from God; sometimes just get . We are using Math U See and Barton for dyslexia based on recommendations from this forum; everyone here has been so helpful. I just kind of fell apart when I saw those scores and worried we were not “doing good enough”; but then I ask, what happened during those 6 years of high dollar private school?
I could’ve written your post myself, as we started hs/CM late as well. I agree with Lindsey…if you push or add too much pressure to “measure up” you will not really get anywhere and just feel guilty for doing it. Trust me, I’ve been there.
I’m in no way minimizing your situation (we test and do not always have those “above average scores” I read about within homeschooling families), but my dh and myself were not educated as we should’ve/could’ve been and we are just fine. I read like a crazy person and he’s strong as an ox. I love the Lord as much as he does, and our dc to the maximum. We manage our finances just fine without the economics class, enjoy history without the history class, can use computers without the computer class…you get the idea…your dc will be just fine. You are concerned and want the best for them, that is exactly what you should be doing, so count that a victory and your dc blessed (many children do not have parents so invested in them, speaking from experience here).
Take a deep breath, give your cares to the Lord, then make a plan. Will you feel like this again in the future?? Sure. I do. But then you just do it again. And, you know as well as the rest of us that even if they were back at the high dollar school you would worry over them…you’re a parent, that’s what we do.
Take heart. You are not alone.
Thank you, just read!! I have added a print out of this post to the front of MY Book Of Mottos! I appreciate your thoughts so much! Will try to MELLOW OUT about finals, plans for highschool, etc. and look at the sunshine (that we are finally getting way down here in Mississippi). You are so right, our love for the Lord isn’t reflected by our test scores or an impressive transcript. Thank you for reminding what really matters!
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