Tests are an important part of
a child’s education. Still, it is important to keep in mind what tests can and
cannot show.
A test can indicate what a student
knows about a given subject. It can also show the types of reasoning a student
finds difficult or easy to do.
A test can also reveal what a
student still needs to learn. It can point out weaknesses and challenges, and
show where further instruction could make a difference.
What a test cannot show is how
hard a student has tried. It can’t show the amount of studying that took place
or the effort that was put into trying to learn the material.
For some students, it takes
little effort to do well on tests. They instinctively know what kinds of
answers are being sought by the nature of the questions.
Others study very hard but find
it more difficult to show what they know, so they may not score as well.
Parents need to make sure
children know that whatever they score on a test, they are stilled loved. It
may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget and very important to children who
are trying hard to do their best.
All children want to do well on
tests. But realistically, they simply won’t be able to do so 100 percent of the
time.
Make sure your children know
you support their efforts, not just the numbers they are able to attain.
