If I am interpreting Georgia state requirements for homeschooling correctly, I think I can pick a standardized test and administer it to my 3rd-grade, dyslexic daughter myself. When I get the results I have to retain the them for 3 years, but I don’t have to report them to anyone. Her biggest problems are in math. I want to use the test this year as a practice for her since I have a good feeling about where she stands in all the subjects (I don’t think the test will reveal anything I don’t already know). What do people think of the MAT? I am interested in this one because it looks like it is less time-consuming than CAT. It is not important to me how she performs—more important that it not be too frustrating for her. We have been using McGraw Hill’s Spectrum Test Prep book for practice. Any opinions?
Make the testing a sort of a game for her — a challenge of “How much do I know and how many of these puzzles can I figure out?” A positive attitude towards tests will stand her in good stead.
Can you find someone that she knows who can be an less biased test administrator? You could use a church minister, tutor, neighbour with teaching experience, etc. You could stay in the room and read a good book but not talk.
This is a good plan for two reasons — first, the test results will be more informative to you if she really works independently without your help, and you might as well get the information of where she stands on a test; and second,. if she has lots of positive experiences doing tests in a non-threatening way with people other than mon, when she really needs to do a test outside she will take it in her stride.