Adapt the Dreaded Timed Test

Does your child get completely distracted and overwhelmed by the timer involved in a timed test of Math facts or other details? Timers certainly added a lot of pressure when I was a child – my body would tense up and my mind would be dominated by the ticking of the timer rather than the facts that I knew flowing onto the paper. Can you relate? Can your child?

So, what’s the point of the timed test? We recognize the benefit of being able to quickly present Math facts as the basis for more involved calculations, but does the timed test provide an incentive that works for all children? Why not let your child compete against himself, rather than others or that dreaded timer? Provide your child with the test sheet, record the time that he begins, and the time he finishes the page. The next time, his goal is to complete it in less time. That would be improvement, right? Try it … I would bet your child will like it!

Have a Tête-à-tête …

The term is borrowed from French, meaning “head to head,” which is a great description of discussion in the homeschool environment. Of course, the French term implies a private conversation between two people, and your discussion can include several family members, but I think you get the idea.

Narration can be part of this discussion. When you read a book out loud to your child, or your child reads a book independently, you can use narration to determine how much the he or she grasps the content. If the book is non-fiction, ask your child to share details from what you read. Does this request leave him or her stymied? Lead off with a question, or ask your child for information regarding a particular person or event. If the book is fiction, ask your child to retell the events of the story. Doing this helps him or her to practice following the plot of the story. After your child has completed the narration, you can expand on the retelling of the story by asking clarifying questions, helping your child to further explore the action in the story or the choices made by characters.

Take narration a step further and you can combine fine arts and kid creativity by having your children reenact the story. Costumes and props can be simple or they can further expand the visual aids you employ in reviewing what was read. Have artistic children? Let them draw or create 3D representations (we called these dioramas when I was in school) of the story. Incorporate other subject skills by having them create a newspaper article or another form of creative writing that will go far beyond the traditional book report. Remember the enticing presentations at the end of Reading Rainbow? Those children were “selling” the books that they had read, providing just enough information and personal testimony to catch your attention and make you want to read the book, too.

Any of these methods will demonstrate your child’s grasp of the book content, and make the most of his or her creative nature.

What About Testing?

"I know some kids who ought to exercise a right not to have their intelligence tested. They run the high risk of having their minds misrepresented by a score."
Mel Levine, M.D., A Mind at a Time

Tests have been a part of school since the classroom was established. Let's face it, tests were necessary for a teacher with a large number of students to evaluate and a limited amount of time to do so. But different learning styles absorb and process information in different ways, while most tests demand that the information be presented in one particular way. If your child doesn't seem to do well on tests, it is very likely that the test is calling for information in a way that doesn't match his or her learning style. A child that processes information globally will easily grasp big-picture concepts but will have difficulty breaking down information to specific details for a short-answer test; and likewise, an analytic child will quickly identify the details, but will have difficulty "seeing" the big picture.

Think back to your days in the classroom ... what was the normal environment for tests? Everyone sitting still at their desks, nobody permitted to speak, paper and pencil at hand and a timer (or was it just a clock) ticking. Sound familiar? There was an aspect of challenge for everyone in the room ... beyond the global versus analytic issues, the kinesthetic child can't move, the auditory child can't talk, and the visual child can't use visual aids. It's a wonder that more children through the decades didn't fall through the cracks of traditional testing. Perhaps they actually did.

Do you get the impression that I'm saying testing isn't necessary? Not really. Just don't confuse testing with accountability. A paper and pencil test isn't always the best way to evaluate your child's grasp of a subject. If you know your child's learning style, make that a primary consideration when you decide how to measure the level of your child's knowledge and grasp of the subject. Yes, they will need the discipline of being able to complete a written test, but that is not the sole means for evaluation.

We'll be talking about different alternate approaches to testing in the coming days ...

Tradition or Adaptation?

I know many families who have begun their school year - some venturing out for the first time, and some continuing the adventure where they left off earlier. I recently came across a book by Cynthia Tobias that reminded me of some ideas that may be of help to you. Our family's schooling experience was greatly enhanced by the information that I gleaned from several of Cynthia's books, starting with The Way They Learn, which is available from Sonlight.

Cynthia writes, "We do need educational reform, but most of all we need to remember who we are trying to educate. The students should be our first priority - each child should be considered an important and valuable customer who can potentially change the world for the better. We should keep our standards high, our academic goals clear, and our code of ethics strong. The point is, we need to teach kids to think, not just feed them facts to think about. That means we'll need to pay attention to the individual learning strengths and preferences of each student."

Cynthia inspired me to break the mold of my traditional education and adapt my approach to meet the needs of my children. While we still used the table for some of our work, we often abandoned it for more comfortable surroundings that were more conducive to my children focusing on the task at hand. I discovered that one of my boys was much more comfortable in softer lighting, that another could focus better when stretched out on the floor, and another was geared for best performance later in the day. There are a variety of aspects of your child's physical environment that could be modified to maximize his ability to focus and learn. These include the type of lighting (bright, soft, fluorescent, etc.), the seating arrangements (desk, table, floor, comfy chair, etc.), the temperature of the room, even the time of day that they are doing their work. Engage your child in experimenting with the best arrangement, but remember to hold him accountable for proving that the non-traditional study environment he prefers actually produces the best results.

What to do with the toddlers?

We've all been in that place in life - maybe you are there now - where we have a toddler who has significantly increased the activity level in our house as he runs circles around us until that blissful moment when he falls asleep. In the midst of this circumstance, you ask, how can I possibly homeschool? The answer is that you can, if you have a plan.

Let's face it, with a toddler in the house, you won't get much of anything done unless you have a plan. You know your child's ebbs and flows, so to speak. There will be times that he needs one-on-one, and there are times that he needs to be trained to work with the team. Don't fall into the mindset that everything must revolve around him constantly, and that his education (in terms of training, not academics) will wait until he is 4 or 5 years old. Begin now to introduce the concept of working together, helping with chores, etc.

There are a variety of ways to occupy a toddler or even incorporate him in your schoolwork. I would suggest that you look at my earlier posts pertaining to using movement to teach wiggly children - with modification, these methods can work to occuply toddlers, too. Other ideas would be:

~ set up small collections of toys in bins labeled for each school day (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) and offer those to your toddler on just that day of the week. Seeing these toys so infrequently will make them seem "new" and keep the child interested longer while you work with the older children.

~ create a place for the toddler to "do school" - whether in the high chair, in a chair at the table, or at a small table nearby - and give him tasks to work on. These can include lacing cards, stacking blocks, connecting Legos or Duplos, or other small-scale activities.

~ establish a "recess" for each of the older children to play with the toddler while you focus on a subject with one of the other children.

~ make the most of nap time, saving subjects for which an older child needs quiet to concentrate or your undivided attention, provided nap time falls at a time of day when that child is at his or her peak in focus ability.

~ if you use music to help your children memorize, encourage the toddler to participate. I particularly recommend the Sing the Word Bible memorization CDs that Sonlight offers - they work well at home or in the car.

You will be amazed at what they can learn just by being in the room with you while you teach your older children. I remember a TV commercial that illustrated this so very well ... it featured a family eating breakfast and Dad quizzing his son on the state capitols. When he asked him the capitol of Vermont, the boy seemed stumped, but his little sister, sitting in her high chair, looked up from the food on her tray and called out "Montpelier!" It could happen in your home, too!

Larger Movement for Learning

While incorporating small, quiet opportunities for movement may be appropriate for certain times in your school day, there are also other times when larger movement is needed. I would define "larger movement" as incorporating either the whole body or larger muscle groups.

One of the favorite tips that a good friend shared with me was adapting the idea of hopscotch to rehearsing facts. Take a collection of index cards and label them according to the facts you wish to review - examples would be letters, numbers, parts of speech, etc. The cards needed for the review are then scattered on the floor and as you ask a question, your child will jump on the card and say the answer. For example, if you are reviewing addition facts, you might scatter an assortment of numbered cards on the floor (space them according to reasonable jumping distances). When you call out "3 + 5" your child will answer (loudly, if you wish) "8" and jump on the index card labeled "8".

Another approach would be to play toss with a bean bag as you and your child recite linear information - meaning a series that has a beginning and an end, such as the books of the Bible, skip counting to 50, or even a memorized passage. I recommend using a bean bag so that if someone misses a catch you aren't as likely to need to chase it far as you might a ball.

Have you ever considered playing "Mother May I" as a part of reviewing details? This can be done with a group of children, even when they aren't on the same level. As "Mother" you can control what questions you ask each child (varying the difficulty as appropriate) and how they would advance when the answer is correct. Try it ... you might discover a whole new way to review everyone's History, Language Arts, Science or Math facts in one activity ... and have fun in the process!

Who says learning can only be accomplished sitting at a table or desk?

Pardon a slight detour ...

I have shared in an earlier post about the seasons of change that I am walking through this year. I know that my last post was the first in a series where I am sharing tips for working with wiggly students, and I will continue that ... but right now I am about to wiggle out of my own skin with gratitude to the Lord for the precious gift He brought into our family on Sunday.

Little Liv joined our family almost a month earlier than expected. She has wasted no time in wrapping our hearts around hers and we rejoice in her life and all the plans that God's Word says have already been written for her.


So now I carry the added title of "grandma" or whatever actual name it works out to be. New horizons, great excitement, even a fresh perspective on family. I am blessed!