Test Your Homeschooled Child
I remember struggling with the question so many parents come to me online or in-person to ask… Should I test my child for giftedness? Should I test my child for dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, or any number of things?
If you are homeschooling your child, it’s important to keep a couple of things in mind as you answer this question. If your kiddo is in public school or another traditional school setting, the answer will be a little different, and I’d be happy to chat more with you about that. Just reach out through the contact form or schedule a coaching call. In the meantime, let’s explore the hows and whys of testing when your kids are homeschooled.
What Testing Options are You Considering?
The first question we need to address is what kind of testing options you are considering. There are so many things a child could be tested for: giftedness, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, autism, and many more.
Determining the kind of testing that would be relevant and potentially helpful is the first step because educational testing can be quite expensive, so it’s essential to have an idea upfront of what you’d like to consider and address.
Testing for Homeschool Students
If your child is in a local public school, test scores may be important in order to provide documentation of your child’s unique strengths and struggles. The test scores may provide educators with useful information to support the need for accommodations.
But what if your child is at home with you for all or most of his learning? There are specific factors to consider when evaluating the testing question from the homeschool perspective, and one of them is your ability to know and understand your own children because of your day-in and day-out experience with them and your up-close observation of where they struggle and what they need to be supported.
Testing Requirements for Gifted Programs and Activities
If your child is interested in participating in a program or activity that requires test results for placement, it may be worthwhile to look into what kind of testing or what specific tests are required for admission or participation. Some programs that might require test score documentation or percentile ranking are the Davidson Young Scholars program and the Yunasa Summer Camps.
The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast Episode #195 – Test Your Homeschooled Child
Parents often ask whether they should have their child tested for giftedness, learning disabilities, anxiety, or other unique characteristics that impact their child’s emotional resilience, learning, and educational achievement. Are tests a good way to understand and meet those needs? Colleen answers those questions specifically related to families who are homeschooling as this unique context has an important impact on the answer.
Links And Resources From Today’s Show:
- SPONSOR: CTC Math
- The Learner’s Lab
- Davidson Young Scholars program
- Yunasa Summer Camps
- Homeschool Testing | Helping Your Perfectionist Do Hard Things
- Knowing If Your Child is Gifted
- Not Knowing All The Answers Makes Me A Better Homeschool Parent
- When Giftedness is Misdiagnosed as a Behavior Problem
- Should I Test My Gifted Child?
- Does My Gifted Child Really Need a Label?
- RLL 31: Should I Test My Child for Giftedness?
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