Homeschool Standardized Testing Guide
Homeschool Standardized testing season is upon us. If you’re in a state like mine that requires a standardized test, I have a few pointers to help you and your kids survive this stressful time. My kids are testing today, so I know exactly what you’re feeling.
Many parents are very worried about homeschool testing. So much so, that they are stressing their kids out before the test day, or they avoid homeschooling all together out of fear that they have to test their kids.
As a more experienced homeschool mom, I’ve learned to navigate the waters of homeschool testing with ease. I’m hoping to pass on these tips to you, as I know this is a stressful time for many homeschool parents. The good news? Homeschool standardized testing doesn’t need to be stressful. You can make this really easy on your kids (and yourself).
Here’s some truth about standardized testing; teachers in the school system routinely “teach the test” for months before their students take this test. They know, or have a good idea, as to the materials on the test. As homeschoolers, we don’t have that luxury. So what are we to do? I have some simple tips for you to make this easy and clear so your students are more confident on test day.
When to Test
Not every state is the same, and you’ll need to make sure to check your state laws on this. Some states don’t begin this until grade 3 or age 8, others start younger. Make sure to check your state laws on this issue.
Some states and situations you can test at home, which is what we do. Check your guidelines and laws. More info on this below.
Homeschool Testing 101
First, learn what tests are required of you and your student. There are many places you can do this. HSLDA, the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, is a great place to start. Facebook groups for your state will also be a good place to learn. Each state has different requirements. Not every state requires testing, and some do. I have lived in both, and homeschool groups are a great source of information. Looking for a group? Join The Handmade Homeschooler Facebook Group! We have over 1,000 homeschool parents there that can help you (plus they are all super nice!).
Once you know what is required, you need test material. Many places, including Abeka, BJU, Steton, and Academic Excellence are great places to purchase standardized tests. My favorite testing materials website is Academic Excellence. Academic Excellence has a wife variety of testing materials, both print and online. We have been using their website for years, and it keeps all of our past scores and grading on file. We use the CAT Test homeschool test, and we like this option. It covers math and language arts. One thing I love about this is the extra step scoring. For a few extra dollars, you can get in-depth grading to show where your child really excelled and where they need work. My kids always enjoy this extra grading sheet. No matter what test you need, I highly recommended checking out their website today and see if they have your materials. One last note, they can help you create transcripts and report cards, too! Perfect for record keeping.
Practice makes perfect. Academic Excellence provides practice tests for these tests, as so many of the other places mentioned above. This year, we decided to do the practice test before our big test day. It had quite a big impact on my kids. Immediately they knew what they needed to work on and review. I bought the $5 CAT Practice Test for each child, and it was well worth the money. I highly recommend this option.
Decide on a test day. Make that entire day your “test day”. Pick a day that will be your test day and clear your schedule. I would even have each child do a test at a time, just in case they need your assistance with the computer (it happens). My children do their testing one at a time to make it easier on me. Your child will know what day is for testing and that will help them mentally prepare for that day.
Take breaks (if your test is untimed). Have your kids go outside and get some fresh air. Watch something mind-numbing on TV, read a book, give your brain a break.
Give positive reinforcement to your kids. Assure them that this test has no bearing on their intelligence. Moms, this test is not a measure of your ability to homeschool. I feel like that needs to be said more than once in this post. Most of the time, the reason why homeschool moms fear this test is because they are scared that if their children do poorly, it’s a reflection of their homeschooling (or mothering) abilities. That is absolutely not true. Not all children are good test takers. I’m a horrible test taker, so I can attest to that. I made wonderful grades in school and college, but I don’t test well. That wasn’t a reflection of my teachers or my mother. No one would accuse a public school teacher of being a bad teacher because a child did poorly on a test. So don’t stress, moms.
Be calm. Kids can pick up on your stress without you knowing it. If you’re calm, they’ll be calm. If you’re stressed out, they will be stressed out. If you act like this test isn’t a big deal, that will help them more than you’ll realize. Children are great at picking up emotion, so be careful to not stress out too much. This test is NOT an assessment of you as a homeschool parent. We are not here to “teach the test”. We are educating our children for real life.
Have snacks. Snacks are life. For my kids, I sneak them snacks while they are testing, and they think it’s the coolest thing ever. Do you kids have a special snack that you don’t buy often? Buy it for testing and hide it. Then, when they are knee-deep in homeschool testing day, bring it to them and give them a hug. You’ll be the coolest mom ever.
After the Test
After the test, you’ll get your results by mail (if you did a paper test) or by email for online homeschool testing. With our CAT homeschool test of NC homeschool testing, we do the online feature and get our results almost immediately.
If you want to share those results with your kids or not is your choice. Personally, my kids like and enjoy knowing their scores. Not all kids are like this, of course, but if you feel that your kids would benefit more from not knowing their scores, then just file it away or do what your state requires with your testing.
For NC homeschool testing (we’re a Carolina family), we file ours away with their attendance records each year in their portfolio. I also scan and upload them to my computer, just in case.
Use these scores for yourself to determine if your child needs help in a certain area. This is the main reason why many states require this test; they want parents to be aware of any areas needed assistance. Use these scores to your advantage and talk with your kids about how well they did in some areas, and ask them what you can do to help in other areas.
Then file it away and continue on with your school year. Don’t let it disrupt your pace of life or school.
Until next time,
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mandy
The advice here is strictly my opinion and has no legal bearing.
