“How will I know if my child is learning?”
When a child is in public school he or she is
constantly tested. Each week there are spelling tests,
there are chapter tests on a regular basis, and in many
states there is standardized testing. Many parents of
public school students decide that if the grades coming
home on test papers and report cards are good, then
their child must be learning.
When students are pulled from a traditional school
setting and placed in homeschooling it is sometimes
difficult for the parent to know if the student is
actually learning enough to keep up with their grade
peers. A big problem is that homeschool students tend
to not be tested as often as public school students.
But is it really a problem and is testing the only way
to know if a student is learning enough?
How Long?
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a child is
learning enough in homeschool because homeschooling
generally takes much less time than traditional
education. Homeschooled children generally do not
spend as much time on a particular topic as
traditionally educated students because they are
neither ahead nor behind their classmates. Part of the
reason for this is that your homeschooled child is
receiving one-on-one attention. They do not have to
wait for others to catch up, nor are they holding up
other students back if they need to spend more time on
a topic. If the student understands the topic then he
or she can move on right away.
Traditional education is set up for a traditional
school year, in many states that is approximately 180
school days. That is, for each subject an hour of
instruction per day for 180 days, or 180 hours per
subject. Now, consider this question: Is a public
school hour of instruction really an hour? Students
must move from class to class, spending time talking to
peers, going to lockers, and moving between classrooms
and even buildings. A traditional school hour of
education might be as short as 45 minutes by the time
moving, getting settled, and ready to actually learn
are taken into account.
Homeschoolers can take almost all of that transition
time out of their day. The commute from math at the
kitchen table to history on the sofa takes considerably
less time than moving from one end of a building to
another and climbing a flight of steps or two. When
was the last time you heard of a traditionally educated
student actually finishing a complete textbook in a
year? It is safe to say that a homeschooled student
can probably cover more material in a school day than
traditional educated students can. It is not unusual
for a homeschooled student to complete the entire
course in a homeschool curriculum.
Testing?
Homeschooled students generally do not take as many
tests as public school students do. Consequently, less
time is spent teaching “to the test”. Teaching to the
test limits a student’s exploration of a subject by
limiting them to the material that will be tested.
Testing is not necessarily a true measure of
understanding of a topic.
In fact, standardized tests can be detrimental to
students who are from different backgrounds and
upbringings. Consider, for example, a standardized test
question that asks reasons for the Civil War. Since the
Civil War is viewed differently by different
ethnicities, as well as different locations, a question
designed to show understanding of the reasons behind
the war might not realistically test a student’s
knowledge.
Another problem with standardized testing is that some
students are very test savvy, understanding how to take
tests well even if they do not understand the subject
matter. Other students are poor test takers and do not
do well under the pressures of timed tests. A low score
by a poor test taker is not a true measure of their
knowledge or learning ability, only their testing
abilities.
You’ll know!
It sounds cheesy to say that you will know if your
child is learning but the reality is that you will know
if your child is learning. You can see it on their
faces, you can tell by their attitude, and you will see
forward progress.
If your student begins their homeschool day ready to go
to school, moves quickly through their assignments, and
is hungry for more information, it is safe to say that
the student is learning.
If your student can not only give you the instructed
materials on a multiple choice test, but can hold a
conversation about the material you will know they
understand the material. When a student can play the
part of the teacher, either giving a speech, or
teaching other children in a subject, then that student
will have sufficient knowledge of a subject to move on
to new material.
Finally, as the parent as well as the teacher it is
possible to see the student in all stages of learning.
You will not have to depend on a report card, or a test
score. You will see your student work through the
instructional material, watch them answer questions,
and be able to judge for yourself if your student is
actually learning.
Linda is a writer and homeschooling parent of one
child. They started their homeschooling journey with
Time4Learning, continuing into high school this year.
They find additional high school coursework by
searching through the Let's Homeschool High School
curriculum directory.
Article Source:
http://www.edarticle.com/articles/42633/is-my-child-
learning-enough.php
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