Testing

[jcbchristy]

One more question. I was wondering if there is any type of measure for how much the children are learning. I am not overly fond of testing but am also going to be a new homeschooling mom in the upcoming year and want to make sure my kids are learning. It looks like as far as the history and science and geography etc... it is left up to the mom to create a measure. Is this the case? Would love some advice on what some of you have done so I will know what to expect.

Thanks,
Christy

[srp1997]

I taught two boys from Bigger Hearts (mostly left side) this year and did not grade. I think my older child would have benefited from grading in some areas. I would love to hear from a veteran or from a Preparing or upcoming CTC parent on how they dealt with this issue as well. It wouldn't be hard to make a test or worksheet as you go through the week and on day 5 they have to recall or look up the answers from their week's work. Or, their daily work could be checked using a basic rubric designed per child and graded accordingly. This would keep expectations clear for each dc.

srp1997
mother of two boys
7 and 10 BHFHG

[jcbchristy]

Thank you for your response. So, there is no set test to measure anything in HOD? In my state I have to be under an umbrella school in order to homeschool. I have to turn in grades at the end of each semester. I will have to grade and have to create tests in order to have grades to turn in. Will this add much time to my day and will this be pretty easy to do with HOD? I am really trying to get organized, as best I can without fully knowing what to expect.



Thank You again,
Blessings
Christy

[Mommamo]

Could you just use narrating as a test? Maybe at the end of the week just have them narrate back something they learned? Or even use the narrating included as you go as your "test." And you could also "grade" the assignments as they do them. Does it have to be an actual "test"?

[srp1997]

jcbchristy,

I agree with Mommamo. The children are supposed to be narrating to you from the reading. For an advanced child, they could write their own narration per week as a review. Or, they narrate to you and you write it down. I will look at a week of BHFHG this afternoon and post back to give an example. Because I am not under those restrictions, I haven't had to worry about it. I would guess that Carrie would have some experience with other moms in this situation and she would have a suggestion as well.

Sarah

[jcbchristy]

Thank you. I think the narration would be fine. It doesn't have to be an actual test, just some way to measure that they are learning the material. I really love the HOD curriculum and really want to use it.

Blessings,
Christy

[Matt'sMom]

Christy,

I had a thought about grading narrations. If I'm remembering right I think Carrie recomends not to grade them are make to many corrections after they children have given their narrations because it will give them the idea that there Is only one right way to do a narration. The purpose of a narration I think is to see what the child remembers, what catches his intrest or what he has made a connectioin to from some other area of study. When multiple children narrate from the same passage it may sound very different depending on their on personal interest or what they have studied in the past. I would not compare the narrations. I think if I were going to use narration as a kind of testing to see if they were learning I would not let the children know I was grading them. You could just mentally check off if they were listing details, talking about the settings or the mood, makining connections etc. A simple letter grade like A, B, C, would probably be what I would do. I do not grade narrations so these are just my thoughts. If someone else does I would like to hear how they do it. Hope this helps in some way.

Blessings,
Durea

[Mommamo]

I probably would also not make a big deal of the grades, I would just keep them for record keeping purposes. But we don't have to have grades or anything in my state.

[Carrie]

jbchristy,

The ladies are doing a wonderful job of helping answer your questions! At HOD, we have a follow-up for everything that you do! For example, the Reading About History box has the reading assignment, and everything else on the left side of the plans is follow-up for that reading. The right side of the plans has a follow-up built right into every single box! So, there will always be a narration (either oral or written), or discussion questions, or a notebooking entry, or a research assignment, or memorywork, or copywork, or questions to answer, or a lab sheet to fill out, or a timeline entry to add, or places on the globe to find, or an art project to do, or a history project to do, or a math assignment to complete, or a Student Book to fill out (with DITHR), or vocabulary words to define, or a writing assignment to complete, or dictation/spelling cards or passages to write, etc. etc. etc. By the end of each year, your kiddos will have very large portfolios of assignments that they can share as proof of what has been accomplished (provided that you save their assignments).

While we are not big on grades as being a good motivator for best performance in the early years of schooling, we are big on making sure kiddos have systematic follow-up in all areas. You'll be amazed at what your kiddos have accomplished by the end of the year when you look back over all of their work!

Blessings,
Carrie

[jcbchristy]

Carrie,

Thank you so much! Having not actually looked through the curriculum it is hard to imagine exactly how everything is going to go. I have looked at the sample pages in the catalog and they help a lot. Your discription of the exercises following the readings answers my questions. I can "grade" certain things as I see fit for the purposes of fulfilling requirements and not make a big deal about grades to the children. I am so excited about HOD! Thank you for being so available to help us new, inexperienced moms do the best we can for our children!!

Blessings,
Christy

[Tansy]

are you required to test? or just turn in grades... I bet you will find review questions at the end of the chapters etc. So you won't have to make up the questions yourself. I'm sure you can grade the science experiment pages as is.

Testing in no way shows proficiency it just shows they can test well. My kid that is in school, failed her reading test but when subsequently tested orally with the special ed teacher she tested (where I told them she was) 2 grade levels above her current grade.

My kids teacher sends home review sheets for science and social studies which are the actual facts that will be on the test. I can compare word for word the review sheet and the test. It's pretty pathetic. So I'm sure you can discreetly grade their narrations, with out all the hassle of a formal test.

[jcbchristy]

Tansy,

Yes I think after hearing from all the ladies that I can definately make it work. I don't have to test, just have grades to turn in to show their improvement. They also have to pass achievement tests after the third grade to make sure they are where they are "supposed to be". Thank you for your thoughts on my problem. I think HOD will work out fine!

Blessings,
Christy

[my3sons]

Oh Christy, I wish I could have you over to take a look at our dc's HOD portfolios - just because it would fun and show you assessment in its finest form. They are bursting with assessments, and I enjoy that they are all direct "evidence" that they understood what they learned. As I compare my second ds's portfolios with my first ds's portfolios (at the same level), it is so neat to see that they are not identical. It is easy to pick out what strengths each of them have, and it is fun to see their different personalities shining through in their open-ended assignments. You have all that to look forward to, and I know once you begin, you'll see exactly what I'm trying to explain as best I can.

In Christ,
Julie