New to homeschooling this year should I give my son placement tests?

Question

How do you know where to start if you don't know what your child has already learned? I don't want to waste time teaching things that he learned eons ago, but I don't want to start too hard either. I have downloaded a scope and sequence for 7th graders in my state, but reading through this list together, he says he's already learned many of the things on the list. To "test" him I asked him a few questions like when he said he knew about cells already I asked him to name the parts of a cell, and he was able to name the nucleus, mitochondria, and so forth. So do I need to give him some kind of placement test to see where he is in the various subjects? Where can I get placement tests?

Answer 1

Christian Liberty Press will send you the CAT test for about $22.00.

You would give him/her the test for the grade level they are entering.

You send the test back to them, they will score it, and send it back with curriculum recommendations if you'd like.

http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress/copyof/

Many curriculum providers also have placement tests you can print of the net to see at what level your child would start.

This is why we never bought a packaged curriculum because our children were at such different levels in several of the subjects.

Good luck.

Answer 2

It is usually a good idea to know where you are starting the journey from, so some method of assessing your son's current levels is warranted. Placement and diagnostic tests represent one measure you can use, but there are other ways. If he's been in public school, you should have report cards that list the cources he's taken and the grades he's received. A quick check with the state's  (or school district's) curriculum standards and scope and sequence should fill in what the courses covered. Asking questions as you have been doing is a great idea too.  My first recommendation is to sit down with your son and map out your educational goals; as you go through that process, he can give you more feedback about what he already knows and what he is interested in. You can also get a feel for subjects he doesn't like and those he struggles with. Once you know what the destination is, then you will have an idea of what to look for in terms of where you are starting, and what routes to take. One of the compelling advantages of homeschooling is that it allows him to take responsibility for his own education, and allows the flexibility to branch into directions that the public school wouldn't or couldn't accomodate.

Having said that, many public libraries subscribe to an online service that provides a wealth of placement, diagnostic and practice tests through "Learning Express Library" The link below is a referal link from the Salt Lake County Library in Utah. (If you happen to be a SLCo Library patron, your login credentials are your library card number and the last four digits of your phone number.)  The tests range from elementary school enhancement and diagnostics to graduate school entrance exams. Check with your local library to see if they subscribe to this service.

Answer 3

Seventh grade is often review, so he probably has learned some of the stuff before.  As far as where to get placement tests, some curriculums have a placement test, if you use one you really only need to test reading and math, the content area subjects are decided on by where he is at in these two subjects.   http://www.Cahomeschool.com has several placement tests and screening tools available including a math grade placement test and a reading grade placement test.

Don't worry too much if some of the things he learns in Science and History are review, it would be in school too.  If you don't want to waste his time going over it again, just have take his chapter tests first, then decide what he needs to study in each chapter/lesson based on what he missed.

Answer 4

You can also go online and do free placement test.  Try doing a search on this, see what you find.

Answer 5

Generally for math, you can easily find a placement test from the publisher.  Other subjects, it's not so easy.  You don't really *need* a curriculum for any of the other subjects (although they are nice when you're just starting out because everything is laid out for you).

You could give him a standardized test to get a better feel for where he is (above, below, or at grade-level) in each subject.  Two tests (the ITBS and the Stanford) are available from Bob Jones University Testing and Eval. Services (among others).  There's several different tests available.  Texas offers their previous tests online for free! (see link below).

Or you might just try winging it for a few months.  This will give both of you time to ease into homeschooling.  Then, once you see where he is, how he learns, what his likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses are, you can start looking for curricula that meets both of your needs.

You might also try asking around to other local homeschoolers to see if you can borrow some of their 7th grade materials to get a feel for the level before you "invest" in the curriculum.  Many homeschoolers are happy to help and willing to loan out materials they aren't currently using.

Answer 6

If you go with a curriculum company, most have placement tests to place the child *within their curriculum*.  This is not a type of standardized test, it just helps show you where they should start.  Kids coming from public schools tend to be "all over the map" with placement tests.  Some go back a year or two (for the "hard" curricula) and some place ahead (for the easy ones).

A better scope and sequence to get is from the curriculum you choose.  Some things are obvious, like if he's had American or World History.  Others are harder.  Most curricula companies should have customer service reps that can also help you with placement.  Most also have a trial period, or a time when you can return the materials if they aren't working for your family.

When choosing a curriculum, I would first find out your son's learning style, then you can choose curriculum to best fit that style.  There are some good books about learning styles.

So, short answer, start with the curriculum you'll be using.