Please help - freaking out! Testing!

[alydar]

I just received my Seton CAT that I was going to give to DS this coming week. It's for 2nd grade. He is about to turn 8, has been doing Beyond, we're on Unit 29 right now, doing everything as written.

But as I was looking through this test I lost it when I saw the Mathematics Computation/Concepts Application sections. There's double digit vertical addition and subtration, hundreds addition and subtration (again in the vertical format), a greater than/less than question with the > symbol.........I'm freaking right now. Do I need to be?? I mean, we haven't done this stuff. Have I missed something? Are these skills he should have by now and I've not been diligent to make sure he does??

[Mom2Monkeys]

They test things below, at, and above grade level. Kids in public school score a 50%tile (average) on many of these standardized tests with as little as 23-35% correctly answered. YOU ARE FINE!

[alydar]

Oh M2M! Thank you so much for that reply! I remember reading about the range that is covered somewhere after I had posted this but you confirmed it. Can you tell this is our first testing experience?

[Mom2Monkeys]

Oh M2M! Thank you so much for that reply! I remember reading about the range that is covered somewhere after I had posted this but you confirmed it. Can you tell this is our first testing experience?

Relax...nice, huh?. Most of my friends and I don't do anything more than say, "Today is testing for the state. But, it doesn't count for anything. Fill the bubble in all the way and if you change your mind, erase all the way first. The results don't matter but God always wants us to do our best." My kids have never, ever seen multiple choice besides testing, which was required for 3rd-8th in Arkansas...now we just moved to FL and I think I CAN test but don't have to and can do an eval and/or portfolio instead. Testing is sooooooo easy breezy here...as in, we don't sweat it. The no pressure thing seems to be working b/c with no prep at all besides what I quoted above, my HODie girl scored reallllllly high...and she's a grade or so behind in math and STILL scores very high in mathematical reasoning and critical thinking. (yay for singapore methods!)

[alydar]

Thank you again! We do (though I guess it doesn't sound that way by my post ) have a very relaxed attitude about the testing. All I tell them is that the state requires it, we'll do it, and go on with our lives. I think I was just not expecting some of the questions so my surprise immediately escalated into worry. That whole "worry" thing is something that the Lord is working on in me lately I think. This is definitely a good opportunity to prayerfully hand it all over to Him. And relax.

Thank you for sharing about your DD. That was most encouraging.