Taking the SCAT Test

Author: Sandra Foyt

14 Jan

My son took his first standardized test today.

In less than one hour, he took the SCAT test on a computer where he quickly clicked on the multiple choice questions. Perhaps too quickly. The test administrator mentioned that he didn’t seem to be reading all the possible answers, and he seemed to choose “A” way too many times. We’ll find out in three weeks whether he chose well, or not.

Afterwards, he told me that he didn’t understand some of the questions. It took some digging but I finally figured out that he was introduced to analogy questions, the bane of college entrance exams.

I suppose that in our society this could be considered a rite of passage. Today, he discovered the intricacies of an analogy question. Why, you ask? Will he ever need to understand analogies in the real world? Is this just a bizarre verbal question only found on college admissions tests? What is the point of subjecting an 8-year-old to a standardized test?

I can’t say that I have a good answer. The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth offers a list of testing benefits, and I have a few of my own. Mostly, I’m still figuring our what I’m doing homeschooling a child who may or may not be intellectually gifted. I guess I’m hoping that this test will give me some indication of whether or not he excels in verbal or mathematical reasoning.

If he does excel in either area, I may need to reconsider whether I’m offering enough challenging instruction. If he does poorly, I may want to review whether I’m giving him enough exposure to age-appropriate material.

Still, it’s just one assessment tool, and perhaps not the best one. I’m still debating meeting with a Gifted & Talented Counselor who can administer a barrage of tests and give me specific advice for my son, especially about some of the social and emotional challenges that we face. We’ll see. I have to ponder that for a bit.

In the meantime, I asked my son how he felt about the SCAT test. He said it was mostly OK, except for the math material that he had never seen before. And he really didn’t like the self-assessment at the end where he was asked to rate his performance. When asked why, he responded, “Well, I really don’t like to face the truth.”

7 Responses for "Taking the SCAT Test"

Denise January 15th, 2008 at 4:10 pm 1
Ah, standardized testing, let me count the ways I loathe them…what does testing really tell us? Whether or not you have answered the questions correctly on any given day, in different environments, and under various conditions. Take child w/ an above average IQ, who doesn’t function well in a cookie cutter classroom, add some underachievement, mix well, ask for enrichment, and add a bunch of school administrators who think your nuts:) End result - a parent that’s toast…thank you for letting me vent, it was getting smokey in here;)
Steve January 16th, 2008 at 1:57 pm 2
Does anyone know of any examples of questions
that are on the SCAT test, or is there any practice
questions for 2-3rd graders?? Thanks!
livingbylearning January 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm 3
Here is a link for sample 2-3rd Grade SCAT test questions:
http://cty.jhu.edu/gifted/dcc/docs/SCATelem_preview.pdf.
jollyjo January 16th, 2008 at 7:46 pm 4
I am assuming there is a homeschooling curriculum and assessment tests. How did he fair with those tests?

In my own experience though, it sometimes hard to judge kids. Sometimes they are plain board and will only perform when they are a little older and when it’s getting close to crunch time (boys especially).
livingbylearning January 16th, 2008 at 10:15 pm 5
Jollyjo,

You have some interesting assumptions.

Actually, 2nd graders are not required to take any particular tests. I’ve given him tests to help me plan his instruction, but informal assessments such as discussion or writing also work. Generally, he fares extremely well in most academic subjects.

There are many homeschooling curriculum choices. In New York, there are some requirements but there is also a lot of freedom to decide how to meet those requirements.

In fact, it is this desire to learn without restrictions that is one of the primary motivations for choosing to homeschool.

Why should a child only learn the state-mandated curriculum, when there is a world of exciting material to explore? Instead of worrying about performance indicators, let kids continue to love learning.

Bottom line, I’m not worried about his performance on this test. It’s just one tool for getting more information about his abilities.

I’m wondering; however, what did you do to counteract your child’s boredom?
jollyjo January 17th, 2008 at 10:08 pm 6
lol…board (bored)…my spelling is awful!

Anyways, I wonder to what extent you have introduced board games (chess), puzzles, music, light projects…maybe even a sport like soccer which is out of the ordinary.

I mentioned these as having seen a lot of bright kids, I think I know some of the things that while fun, help the learning process considerably and make some excel.
livingbylearning January 18th, 2008 at 2:24 am 7
All of the above! We’re always trying new activities. It’s part of the family culture.

Both of my kids hate soccer, but one/or both enjoy swim team, running, skiing, ice skating, rock climbing, biking, white water rafting, and mountain biking. My son is begging to try fencing, but we haven’t worked that into our schedule yet.