What is going on?!

So tonight Allison insists on practicing math problems, not because she loves math, but because there is Star Testing tomorrow, which will test students grade level equivalency. She was literally in tears when I told her she didn't need to practice. She said that if she scores in red (which shows they need intervention services) she would have to go to the office to be talked to. Well, she's scared to death. Now, being a teacher, we often stress the importance of trying on tests, and I'm not opposed to helping convince my students how hard they need to try....but i teach middle school and it's totally different. scaring 1st graders seems a little extreme. now i know she may have misunderstood, but she is already saying that she hates testing and she is in first grade!! i'm not happy at all!

 

Hopefully it's just how this teacher is presenting the test? Maybe you need to speak with her. My girls have been speech tested and had to go to the office for this but it is broached in a very comforting manner and their speech teacher is an angel

 

I would speak to the teacher about this and try to get at the bottom of what is going on. (I'm not at all in favor of all this "testing" pressure and "teaching to the test", but it is a fact of life, at least where we live.)

I might also try to work on some "test coping" skills with your kid, since she is already exhibiting "test" anxiety. Maybe role play?

Good luck with this!

Meg

 

It must be in how the teacher is presenting it. Maybe talk with the teacher? My DD was pulled out of class to be tested, but she didn't have any advance warning (nor did we). They just took her out and tested her one day to see if she qualified to be placed into the 2nd grade math program (she's in first grade). She didn't have any anxiety at all, but boy did she really want to bring that test home to show us and bugged the teacher daily about it. We got to see it at conferences.

I know my girls take "tests" but there's no big deal made about it at all. It's all used to guide what level to teach them at. My DD gets special math work outside of what her class is learning because of her testing results.

 

I did email the teacher. She's really great...had my son when he was in 2nd grade. She said that the last big test they took she got really stressed out about it. She said that she only talked it up positively, but has noticed that Allison is getting stressed out about test taking. I think I am going to have to just start some test taking coping stuff with her. I see students who get stressed out in middle school over making a B. I think it just worries me because I see what happens if kids continue to stress over things and how it affects them as they get older. I just really was not expecting this from her...she is normally very laid back about things, but wow did I see a different side of her last night! Sarah, the one who I would expect it from, acted like it was no big deal...weird!

 

I hate how much emphasis is put on certain tests the kids take. I really do think they spend so much time preparing for them that sometimes kids do not want to dissappoint.