Diagnostic Testing Has Begun!

The Alpha Omega diagnostic testing came in the mail yesterday for our middle school daughter.

As you know, we are considering home schooling next year and we need to understand where our daughter is at academically in each core subject and if there are any learning gaps that need to be addressed. She is currently in the sixth grade.

Alpha Omega is the curriculum we would use initially if we proceed down this route, and from what I see so far, is much harder than the curriculum she is currently using in school. It is possible, based on this curriculum, that she would not start out in the grade she would be at in public school in all of the subjects because it just seems like more challenging work.

We will be testing in five areas: Math, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography, and Bible.

Our testing packet is for grades 2-8. We start two grade levels below or current grade and work our way up until the work becomes too difficult for her to complete. The test is then graded. From this we will identify gaps in prior grades that need to be reviewed and can also determine the proper grade placement to start out with in each of the core subjects. It might show that she is in a grade ahead in one subject and a grade behind in another.

She was so excited that she wanted to start the testing right away last night - even after being in school all day. I thought that showed real initiative and a real desire to get us to the point of deciding for home schooling for her. See, she has been asking us for over a year and has been praying about it just as long. She's waiting on us to get to where she as already arrived.

The fact that the test may show she is a little behind does not discourage her at all. Her contention for home schooling as always been because she wants to be smarter and if the test show she is behind in something it just reinforces for her she is not getting the education she desires. In her mind, it will not be her fault but the public education systems fault. She is very positive about all of this.

Each grade level of the test can take up to an hour or more so just in the math area it could take 3-4 hours to get to the point where she can't go any further. She completed two grade levels last night and we will keep plugging along until we have completed them all.

I noticed one thing already about her study/work habits. She likes to talk out loud through her problems. She makes inquiries to herself, exasperated comments, etc. as she works out the answer.

One thing I over head that I am still laughing about this morning is her response to a question about the point at which freezing occurs. She read the question out loud and added in an exasperated tone, " How am I suppose to know - it's different for everybody!"

I am sure she knew the answer and that it is just her personality that comes out in her thinking process but regardless I thought is was hysterical. Seriously, though, I can see already how she might feel restricted in a traditional classroom setting because she cannot be free to express herself while she is problem solving.

We have hours and hours to go yet just to determine her aptitude in each topic. I'll keep you posted on our journey.