Reading Assessment: The Ever-Increasing Demands on Home School Parents

Parents, working as home schooling educators orformat is far easier to implement within the home
with others who are home schooling providers,schooling environment than it is in the traditional
have a variety of tools at their disposal toschool setting.
encourage their child's early reading skills. ThisStandardized Assessments Encourage Early
article describes some of these issues and toolsReading Skills
available to these parents.The drive toward assessing student progress has
Learning to read opens the door to a host ofinvaded what was once a rather freestyle home
tools and adventures for every child. However,schooling environment. Students nationwide are
the value of reading is often evaluated differentlynow expected to perform at certain levels based
for the home schooled child than it is for theon age and academic grade. And, although
traditionally-schooled child. Traditionally-schooledstandardized assessments are good indicators of
children are regularly tested on their reading abilityoverall performance, they are somewhat stifling
because traditional teaching methods rely heavilyto home schooling enthusiasts and fail to consider
on a child's reading ability as a way for children tothe different learning styles and speeds of
learn other subject matter. As a matter of fact,individual learners. In essence, standardized
teaching reading is so important to theassessments, which are now required of many
traditionally-schooled child that such children rarelyhome schooled children, are ultimately forcing
achieve academic success without first masteringhome schooling educators to ensure that their
basic reading skills.students learn academic skills at roughly the same
Early Reading Skills vs. Developmental Readinessrate as traditionally-schooled children. This means
The reading picture has evolved somewhatthat teaching reading has become more important
differently for the home schooled child. Homewithin the home school format.
schooled children have advantages that make theMany educators, home schooling and traditional,
development of reading skills less pressing thanabhor standardized testing. Still, it looks like it's
they are for traditionally-schooled children. As ahere to stay, at least for the moment. And, for
matter of fact, some home schooling expertsthe home schooled child to meet the expected
insist that there is no need to worry about forcingstandards and to stay on track, that child has to
the development of reading skills in homehave mastered certain skills, especially reading, by
schooled children and that many home schooleda relatively early age. In situations where
children don't master reading until several yearsstandardized testing is an important assessment
after the traditionally-schooled child. Many hometool, children who fail to develop early reading skills
schooling educators believe that teaching reading isare likely to be incorrectly assessed. And, an
something that happens naturally.incorrect assessment is dangerous to both the
The primary reason why home schooled childrenchild and the home schooling program. For this
may not require early mastery of reading skills isreason, it's important for home schooling
because they are taught in different ways thaneducators to emphasize reading skills as a learning
traditionally-schooled children. Thetool and that they emphasize teaching reading.
traditionally-schooled child must adhere to a setReading as More Than Merely a Skill
standard designed to ensure that all childrenTeaching reading to children as early as possible
develop at the relatively same pace. Teachingdoes not have to be a perceived slight to the
dozens of children the same material requires thathome schooling tradition. Although, like Maria
those children be at the same basic level ofMontessori, many home schooling educators take
preparation. A public school teacher faced withissue with forcing children to learn any skill before
teaching ten, twenty, or even thirty children atthey are developmentally ready, there is no
varying learning stages is likely to be unsuccessfulresearch that indicates that teaching children to
at such an endeavor. Ensuring that children learnread early harms their future development in any
certain skills by a certain age simply makesway. So, disregarding the obvious difficulties
teaching large groups of students more efficient.associated with teaching children skills that they
Maria Montessori and Teaching Readingmay not be prepared to learn, early reading
The work of Maria Montessori changed the facedevelopment probably still is a worthwhile
of teaching reading and opened the door to aendeavor.
new home schooling movement. Dr. MontessoriThe benefits of reading are well-documented.
uprooted traditional teaching theories byReading is fun, opens doors to new subjects and
presenting research that children learn at varyingadventures, and helps prepare children to think
rates and that hands-on activities enable childrencritically and embrace information that is both
to learn better and more completely thaneducational and entertaining. Reading is so
traditional rote memorization teaching techniques.important to today's teaching methods that its
Her work in the late 1800's and early 1900's alsoimportance spills over into the areas of
proved that mixing multiple learning levels in themathematics, social studies, science, and more.
same classroom actually benefits children ratherThe student who is interested in reading develops
than hindering them. Children, regardless of age,faster in many academic areas than students
learn from each other. Older children inadvertentlywho are unprepared with basic reading skills.
teach younger children. And, younger children giveHome school parents and home school providers
older children the opportunity to learn by doing.have a large variety of tools available to
However, because of the somewhat individualizedencourage their child's early reading skills. Some
teaching present within the Montessori classroom,experts insist that the first ten years are crucial
employing this method within the public schoolfor reading development and that teaching reading
environment is not always feasible. More about Dr.and a love of reading before the age of ten sets
Montessori's work can be found atthe stage for a lifetime of reading enjoyment.
Intentionally or unintentionally, home schooling isMany theories expound the belief that reading to
rather Montessori-like in the practical application ofyoung children helps them develop a love for
home schooling teaching methods. Like Mariareading. Young children then express a desire to
Montessori's theories, home schooling emphasizeslearn to read on their own, they then practice
the individual learning style of the student overreading by doing, and subsequently read for their
the need to teach certain skills by a certain age.own satisfaction and/or pleasure. A child who has
The child who is a weak reader might be verballybecome a regular reader and who truly enjoys
advanced, and vice versa, meaning that the homereading lives in a world that is forever enriched
school teaching partner plays on each child'sand expanded by this one simple tool -- reading.
strengths to teach each individual child. This