The Need for Testing
The homeschool transcripts are important to showcase exactly what your homeschool student has been learning along the year. However, many states have a legal requirement for homeschool families to take some standardized tests to prove that the children are up to par with their peers. These documents may be essential to ensuring that you are allowed to continue homeschooling.
Preparation is Important
In some cases, the homeschool teacher finds it a good tool to gauge just how well the student is imbibing the lessons in the homeschool classroom. If you are planning on having your homeschooled children take standardized tests, please consider preparing them properly before you ask them to demonstrate academic progress. It can be disaster if you just show up to get them tested one fine day with no warning or preparation.
Picking the Correct Test
Decide on the test that is best suited for your homeschool student. Even though it’s compulsory to do standardized testing, there are all kinds of different tests that you can choose from. Make a study of the ones that are considered legal in your home state and then compare them to check which one your child will be able to handle best. You know the strengths and weaknesses of your child better than anyone else.
Details of the Process of Testing
Check if it’s a timed test. Give your homeschool student practice of timed tests if it is. Find out if the test can be administered from home or if the child needs to go to a specific location to give the test. Scope out the location in advance with your child so they know what to expect. The more comfortable your homeschool student feels, the better they are likely to perform on the test.
Study as per the Test Syllabus
Most standardized tests have syllabus and testing patterns easily available. Pick up a copy of previous tests so that you can practice them with your homeschool students. Also while you may have covered the topics in the homeschool classroom, you may want to see how the questions based on those topics have been framed for the tests.
