One of my favorite blogs is Adventures in Ansleyland. Her daughter, Ansley, reminds me so much of Aidan and I love reading about her. She amazes me because she's actually younger than Aidan. Well, Ansley's mom tested her from an online test called Dora and after looking at it... I decided to have Aidan take the test as well.
I want to start out saying that I'm not really sure how accurate this test is. I haven't researched it and it seemed to me some of the questions were easily set up so that the child could figure out the answer from process of elimination.
Anyway... here are her results....
High-Frequency Word Subtest
(examines the learner's ability to identify frequently occurring words. Responses are timed.)
Highest score possible: High 3rd
Aidan's score: Middle 3rd To be perfectly fair... she knew all the answers but mis-clicked on one. However, that is part of testing so the wrong answer still counts. She was really upset and from then on she was super careful.
Word Recognition Subtest
(measures ability to recognize varied leveled words)
Highest score possible: High 12th
Aidan's score: Mid 12th This score seems really overblown to me. I watched her do the test of course and I know she didn't "recognize" the words as in she knew them all. She figured out which word by listening to the sounds and eliminating options. So, I don't know if that form of "recognizing" should count or not.
Phonics Subtest
(assesses basic phonic rules using real and nonsense words)
Highest score possible: High 4th
Aidan's score: High 4th (not overly surprised at this one)
Spelling Subtest
(Assesses spelling skills)
Highest score possible: High 12th
Aidan's score: High 2nd (this seems right on with what I've judged her to be at as well)
Oral Vocabulary Subtest
(measures receptive oral vocabulary using leveled words)
Highest score possible: High 12th
Aidan's score: High 6th (I'll take their word on it)
Reading Comprehension
(I do not count this test as accurate. Because of Aidan's proficiency with the other tests... the excerpts they gave her to read were way too long and over her head. She basically answered what she knew and then guessed. Her score, still, was low 7th but I don't think its accurate)
What all this means?
Well, mostly, I think my Aidan is a good test taker and when she guesses... she guesses well. It is, of course, a nice way to try to assess because I will not have her professionally tested unless it's needed but is it accurate or likely to test high? Hmm? I also think, above all, it tells me to quit giving her "easy" things and to find level-appropriate work for her. (I'll try... but man... skipping so many levels at once makes me feel like she'll have a lot of holes in her learning!) At the very least, when I become aggravated enough from the nay-sayers in my life about Aidan and her abilities, I can pull out the results and say "Seeeee!!" Some people just refuse to get it.*
*My sister was talking to me just today about how I should put Aidan in school and how she'll "even out" with the other kids. "It's not like she's genius level or anything" she said. LOL Ummm... yeah. "What", I wondered, "does she believe genius is"? Aidan is on the same level as my sister's 7.5 year old. *shaking head here*
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2 comments:
I may be biased, but I believe that sending her to school would simply bore her and likely teach her that everything is easy and she doesn't have to work for things. I know that, for many years, I ran from things I might have to work for (academically) after leaving public school. Since you already work so closely with here, it's understandable that the results would mostly just validate what you already suspect/know.
I really love reading about what you are doing with your girls. My son isn't gifted, but many of your thoughts and experiences are food for thought as a mom to a young learner.
Hey :) Glad I'm one of your favorite blogs! LOL. From what I was told by the developmental psy, the DORA test was pretty accurate for us, although about halfway through Ansley was kind of done, and I should have had her stop and start again later, (I will next time we test). I agree about the word recognition....I am unsure of how accurate that is, as she was able to do process of elimination, although she can recognize and read fluently now on a mid 4th grade level according to the testing the psy did, so I guess her score of word recognition of mid 6th is not so unlikely.
Her comprehension was lower on this then I think she could have been if the test hadn't taken over an hour and comprehension tested last. She was tired and just clicking to be done. The psy said the comp on his passages was mid 2nd, however she was not really into it that day either LOL.
I am planing on giving this test again at the end of May and seeing how she progressed, but this time stopping and taking a break.
I agree, that it does help pu things in prospective and really allows me to feel somewhat more secure in my decisions. I can't see putting her in school, even when the psy admits right now at 3.11 she should be in 2nd grade, he wont advocate for anything more than placing her in K next year "because she will need another skip and she will still graduate to early" Although he admits she will not be challanged and will be bored, and that the school can do nothing for her academically :(
I was never challanged at school and struggled in life when I faced a true challange. I wantto let her go on her own pace and challange her appropriatly.
Oh and I have a SIL like yours, and it is hard because Ansley is light years ahead of her 1st grader. Sigh, I have stoped justifying and take solace in the fact that now we live on an island and never see them LOL.
HUGS
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