© Beverley Paine

We don't believe in 'testing' the children to measure their academic achievement, we think it is detrimental to their self esteem and confidence. However, 'testing' is a natural consequence of life, just as competition seems to be.

I find I 'test' my children every day - perhaps a better word would be challenge . I consciously set them little tasks or questions which I know they are fairly able to master. These are always in context, not divorced from some real life activity or situation.

Mostly I assess my children's abilities through observing them, and by measuring that against my expectations. I constantly check to see if my expectations are realistic, and if they are tailored to my children's individual needs, not standards set by outside sources. I have found that what was applicable for one child in terms of achievement is totally unrealistic for another.

When I gauge these things I like to take into account the holistic picture of the developing child - what all the strengths and weaknesses are. Observing and marking the strengths, by celebrating them in various ways, is an important part of this evaluation process for us. 'Testing', on the other hand, especially in a formal way, focuses more on the child's weaknesses, placing more emphasis on correction, than in pursuing excellence in areas of talent.

The children like to 'test' themselves and I don't discourage this. They know about school and employee type tests. I will set them tests if they ask for them, and encourage them to participate in quizzes and puzzles.

The best tests are those that are not competitive, or set against a 'standard', but are ones that measure a child's progress against previous achievements. Homeschools can easily make their own tests of this kind.

Beverley has written extensively about evaluating and recording home education learning programs. Her Getting Started with Homeschooling includes a chapter with samples taken from her personal records.