Charlotte Mason Exams
Dear Mama,
“The schoolboy ‘crams’ for an examination, writes down what he has thus learned, and behold, it is gone from his gaze for ever: as Ruskin puts it, ‘They cram to pass, and not to know, they do pass, and they don’t know’ ”
- Charlotte Mason, (Vol. 1, p. 155).
In the Charlotte Mason world, exam formats do not include true or false, fill-in-the-blank, or multiple-choice. Instead, exams reveal what ideas have become a part of the child’s life.
He is to regurgitate everything he remembers from the specific topic. This approach to test-taking is actually harder because it requires the child to pay attention to the lesson. Exam questions should be open-ended narrations like:
- “Tell the story of...”
- “Describe...”
- “What have you noticed about...?”
Exams are typically given in the twelfth week of the term. Preparation for the tests is not as stressful because we are not teaching to the test or cramming for the test. They must be able to tell the entire story of the topic.
In my experience, the one thing that has been most stressful for me is preparing for a test. One can create the test oneself or use prompts from the curriculum being used. Either way, a significant amount of work goes into making an exam.
That is why I created these exam booklets. These exam books are tailored to each form, featuring fill-in-the-blank prompts, which help moms simplify the test preparation process and reduce stress. I used the Form I exam book last term, and it was significantly more tranquil.
If putting together a test is time-consuming and something you don’t look forward to, then definitely check out these exam books, exclusive to my Amazon shop.
Warmly,
Mirley
P.S. Check out the resources to help you simplify, organize, and beautify your homeschool.
Follow me on Instagram for more tips on notebooking, mother culture, and homeschooling.
Explore my Notebooking Catalog for interactive notebooks, exam books, and more tools that I have created for mother-teachers.
Explore my Amazon Storefront for my favorite books and homeschool resources.
*** Links above are to affiliate links for the book recommendation.***