We think there is a place for it! Read on to see why.
Today we are opening Pandora’s box by answering the question, “Should homeschooled students take tests?” Though I’m sure many people will be happy to disagree with us, The Savvy Educator believes they should.
But wait! Didn’t we choose to homeschool so that our children would enjoy more creative, experiential learning that develops in them much more than the ability to consume facts and spit them back out? Yes! In defending the value of tests, we are not advocating that you give up any of your creative, hands-on, critical-thinking, literature-centered, nature-immersed, discussion-oriented homeschool methods. We simply recommend that tests be included in the mix.
As a homeschool mom, I have found that, preparing for tests often exposes hidden learning weaknesses and concepts that didn’t quite sink in as well as I’d thought. My children and I might have (what I believed to be) a wonderful lesson, with the children engaged, inquisitive, and apparently connected to the material in a positive way that indicated understanding. Then, a day or a week later, in reviewing for a quiz or test, it becomes clear that I had greatly overestimated the depth of learning that had taken place in that lesson. Without the test (and the review that precedes it), I would have gone on, blissfully unaware that my children had taken away far less than I’d planned and expected.
There are other important reasons to include testing in your homeschooling.
1. It allows your child to develop study skills, including the skill of sifting through a large
amount of information and finding what’s most important.
2. It allows you to measure how much your child has learned. (Though you may feel you
know how much learning has taken place without a test, we believe you’ll know even
more with one.)
3. It gives your child practice expressing himself in writing on topics he’s studied.
4. It teaches the importance of discipline in learning.
While we homeschoolers love for our children’s typical learning experiences to be
captivating, warm, creative, and fun, there will be times when a particular concept will
only be mastered through intense effort. The struggle involved can even serve to
increase a love of learning! It can be empowering and thrilling for a student to wrestle
with a concept, conquer it, and demonstrate his mastery of it on a test.
5. It aids in retention.
My children remember better the things on which they are tested. In addition to
initially learning them, they also review those concepts several times and interact with
the information again on the test itself. Outside of a last-minute cram scenario (which
we don’t recommend), test preparation and test-taking leads to better long-term
retention.
6. It builds confidence.
A child who has taken tests in his homeschool program for years will be far less
intimidated by them when he faces them outside homeschooling.
7. It prepares him for the learning he will do after he completes your homeschool
program.
Whether your child heads to college or the workplace after homeschooling, he will
almost certainly be called upon to demonstrate his knowledge in the form of a test. If
he’s had frequent experience with tests, he’ll know how to prepare effectively and
efficiently.
As homeschool parents, we have the opportunity to go far beyond merely teaching our children information. We have the privilege of teaching them how to LEARN. What a wonderful gift! Homeschooled students tend to develop exemplary self-discipline and the ability to learn independently. These things will serve them tremendously in college and in the workplace. As homeschooling parents, let’s make sure we also teach them how to review what they’ve learned, prepare for an assessment, and demonstrate verbally and in writing their mastery of concepts they’ve studied. Then, they’ll truly be thoroughly equipped for any avenue of further study.
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