Aptitude test results: to know or not to know?

[snorkle]

Message withdrawn

[Hallgerda]

I really don't like the sound of those tests, snorkle. I'm very sceptical about aptitude tests (they've been pretty wrong about me)and would be concerned about the school's use of the results.

I wouldn't ask to see the results unless I believed that my child's choices were being limited by the school because of them, in which case I would ask to see them in order to find out what I was up against.

[snorkle]

Message withdrawn

[PrettyCandles]

I think that if things seemed to be generally going well with the child, I would not ask to see the results - as you say, why create inappropriate expectations. OTOH, if things weren't going well, if the child was unhappy or frustrated, or seemed to be doing poorly in some subjects for exajple, then I think I would want to see the results in order to try and find a way to help. If the child struggles with a subject, claims to loathe it, but shows good aptitude for it, then perhaps they only loathe it because they're struggling and some coaching would help. Or if the test shows that they truly have poor aptitude for it, why force them to continue, why not change to a different subject?

[shimmy21]

I definitely wouldn't be able to resist finding out. If the school is using the results then surely you want to know what they are basing their decisions on.

You obviously realise that the results need to be taken with a healthy pinch of salt so as long as you keep that in mind even if the results show your ds is a genius then it can do little harm.

[snorkle]

Message withdrawn

[mell2]

Think these are similar to the CATs. We didn't have a choice - they were sent in a sealed envelope! I obviously didn't get too hung up on the results as dd is in year 8 now and i can't
remember her score (just that she's average!)