Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments 6 year old at tested 9th grade Language Arts...

I'm feeling overwhelmed. I homeschool my 6 year old son through a public charter school program. He tested yesterday in language arts at 9th grade level!! I don't eve know how that's possible! I haven't even shown him anything past 3rd. In reading 2 weeks ago he tested at 7th grade level and in math at grade 3.5. What in the world am I supposed to do as his teacher?

Don't panic! The most likely explanation is that it's one of these confusing reports you have in the US where what it means is not that he is working like a 9th grader, but that on this test of 3rd grade material he did as well as a 9th grader tested on the 3rd grade material would probably do. Does that make sense given your knowledge of what test it was? I'm sure someone here knows specifics of the test if you don't.

I don't know why they put those grade equivalents on the test results either. It is the first thing that stands out. DS7 got grade equivalent of >12.9 in one section and I had the same thought...what is he going to learn in grade 2?

Note: Grade Equivalents usually means that the student understands the material as well as a 'X' grader would, not that they know the equivalent of 'X' grade material (unless out of grade level testing was done).

For example, a first grader tested (on first grade material) for math may test at a 10th grade equivalent meaning that they'd score about the same if a 10th grader was given the same test. It doesnt necessarily mean they know what's covered in 10th grade.

You DO have very good test results... I'm not sure exactly what was tested and if you did out of level testing but I wanted to clarify what grade equivalency means. It confused me the first time I read an achievement test result.

But again, very good scores.

JB

Whoops. I see ColinsMom said the same thing. I didn't read closely enough!

JB

Ditto. DS5 tested as having the problem-solving skills of a thirty year old person. Yet when he went to take his driving test, they rejected him. Something about not being able to reach the pedals.

Thanks for the morning chuckle

I don't understand the testing very well myself. What I do know is (and I'm looking at the test and thinking it out right now) that everyone in the school takes the tests from 3rd grade and higher. My son is not in third grade, but in order to get all the ceiling he can get, they test his as a third grader. They each get a scaled score, a number, for example last time my son tested (Oct '10) his scaled score was 2169 (the average score for a 3rd was 2232). This time his scaled score was 2834 (and the average 3rd grade score was 2305). So for the Grade level equivalent they mean that the average 9th grader has a scaled score of 2834 as their scaled score. His percentile score was 99th percentile for a 3rd grader.
I'll have to e-mail someone from the school maybe so they can tell me exactly what this means for my son. I was hoping to find someone on here with a similar situation so they could tell me what they did, or how things worked out for their child. Or what kinds of things I could do at higher levels, but that my 6 year old would enjoy.

Do you know the name of the test? If it's a grade level test, I wouldn't panic too much. If it were open ended, I would be more worried (like the WJ, the Peabody K-12 achievement, etc)

With the extra info, it doesn't sound like you need to rush out and buy 9th grade instructional materials. Instead, since you're homeschooling, I would think about compacting (pretesting, then skipping blocks if mastery is shown) as much as possible with whatever curriculum you're using, giving bigger doses of more advanced spelling and vocab, etc. and just let him progress. I'd also make sure that his reading contains some material he finds challenging.

The test is Scantron performance testing a test the take on the computer and if they get a question right it moves up in difficulty, if the answer is wrong it moves down in difficulty.

Yes, I don't intend on getting any 9th grade work for him or even anything close to that. He's been working in 2nd grade level this year, though for the last month or so he was getting so board of the English...and i was feeing like i was wasting my time. So i bought a 3rd grade grammar book and a 5th grade reading comp w/ vocabulary and some other things that go with the stories.

I e-mailed the teacher/administrator that i think might be able to interpret and maybe give advice. I just want to do the best thing for him next year, though I don't know how I'll figure out what that is.

Hi Jenafur,
Great to see that your son learned a lot over the year!
Quite a lot, and so it makes sense to re-evaluate what level of materials to use to teach him. Can you imagine your son in public 1st grade right now?

Anyway - what you want to know isn't 'what grade would by child be preforming 'average' at - you want to know 'what grade would by child have to be in for a scaled score of 2834 to be 90% percentile. That will give you a more accurate estimate of what level books and worksheets to ask for.

I'll be interested to see what the teacher suggests. It's going to be 'trial and error' for a while.

Smiles,
Grinity

Hi Jenafur,

Though you don't mention which school your child is using, I am pretty sure my children are in the same one--based on the Scantron and the numbers you are quoting. My son didn't start using that school until right after he turned 8, but he had similar results: He tested out of high school.

The tests are pretty shallow, and they are multiple choice. I have found that they don't really mean that much at all--other than that your child could probably handle curriculum that is more challenging than grade level. I haven't found the tests at all useful in figuring out where my son is academically--they are just too quick.

Hopefully your son's teacher can help you figure out where your child should be placed. They seem pretty willing to skip grades in language arts and math. Good luck!

Jenafur,
Did you ever end up applying to Davidson Young Scholars Program?
Smiles,
Robin

No, and that's so funny that you just said that because i'm looking at it right now, wondering if it really would help. I just don't want to go have my son tested and pay all the money and get him in the program if it ends up not really being worth it. I feel like I still don't understand what the Davidson Young Scholars program really is and what they can really do. I read the things on the website but I wonder what they will really be able to do for my son. I was just talking to my Mom on the phone today and she wants to help find programs or people that can help him and me. I told her about the Davidson Young scholars program and she would be willing to help pay for testing or do whatever.

Go Jenafur's Mom!!! I think particularly for homeschooling moms, DYS opens the door to lots of other mom's who have BTDT, and know about all sorts of programs to try. The seminars are good, and we've gotten a lot out of it.

No magic wand, but great to see how some older kids have turned out ok.

Smiles,
Grinity