Homeschool Basics: Standardized Testing Alternatives

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Welcome to my Homeschool Basics Series! How do you keep up with standardized testing in homeschooling?

Before starting anything listed below, check with your state laws to be sure standardized testing is or is not a requirement. These states are required:

Vermont

West Virginia

Hawaii

New York

Rhode Island

Oregon

Maine

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Standardized Testing Alternative 1: Create a portfolio of their work. Create and maintain a binder or folders with a simple portfolio for each child. I personally have a binder with different tabs such as attendance, report cards, reading log, sample of kids work in each subject.

Standardized Testing Alternative 2: Let digital assessment tools do the work. All online curriculum has built in reporting tools that will allow you to see if your child is progressing.

Standardized Testing Alternative 3: Create personal goals and development plans. Sit down and ask your child what they want to learn! Then, help them create a vision board of what they want to learn. Not only that, it will teach your child about goal setting and can be used throughout their lifetime.

Standardized Testing Alternative 4: Use game-based assessments. Online educational games constantly runs an assessment in the background of the learning game play. As your child struggles with problems, the game will add more of those and advance them on the topics they've mastered. Most of these games have assessments where you can review.

Standardized Testing Alternative 5: Debrief. Debriefing is simply having kids provide feedback to each other on their work.

Standardized Testing Alternative 6: Use show and tell. Have them do a show and tell session on a project or anything they've been working on. Sometimes, the child will get a kick out of having the role reversed where they get to be the "leader" or "teacher."

Standardized Testing Alternative 7: Do project-based learning. Working the way through a project is a great method to assess a child's learning. You can see where they are at specific steps, how long it's taking them, how they're using organizational skills, critical thinking, creativity, and more!

Standardized Testing Alternative 8: Observe your child. Naturally observe your child's progress. Talk to them. Have them explain what they learned. Read with them. Cook with them. Do other activities where they will naturally use skills they've learned. It will quickly become apparent where your child needs more help.