Exams are a common way to evaluate a child’s knowledge and to show how much they’ve grown since they were introduced to a subject. However, while exams are reliable, not everyone has the same reaction to them. While one student who excels at worksheet learning may pass an exam with flying colors, another student who prefers hands-on learning may struggle.

Exams are tedious and could strain a child’s ability to do their best academically, and they often don’t account for the unexpected. For instance, if a child is having a bad day, it may reflect poorly on their exam. Overall, exams can be stressful. Instead of using exams to measure academic progress, there are ways to measure outside of the worksheet environment.

Self-Evaluation

Self-evaluation at the end of each day or week gives children time to reflect on how they’ve improved academically, emotionally, and physically. Reflecting allows children to discuss their thoughts about what they struggled with and how they can improve. By taking the time to self-evaluate with your child about their opinions on their improvement, they’ll feel free to gauge their own growth. This forces them to acknowledge their achievements.

Switch Roles

Parents are typically the teachers, and it can be difficult to measure a child’s success just by teaching alone. A great way to evaluate growth is to switch roles and have children teach what they learned. If the child is able to teach what they comprehend, then it shows that they understood what they were taught. It’s a fun exercise in which the child becomes the teacher and the parent becomes the student.

Create a Portfolio

By using a simple folder, parents can create a portfolio where they store a child’s work. Using this portfolio, a parent and child can go through their work to track just how far they’ve progressed. For example, by looking over old and new handwriting work, a child can determine how much they have improved at writing. Portfolios make evaluating a child’s academic progress a visual journey, where they can physically identify how they’ve progressed.

Answer Questions They Got Wrong

There are bound to be some questions children struggle with during their learning journey, and instead of throwing out those old questions, consider using them to measure your child’s academic progress. When a child gets a question wrong, save the question for future use. After they have a better understanding of the subject they’re learning, have them answer the question again. If they’re able to answer the question correctly, then it shows their overall growth in the subject.

Progress Academically in Childcare

Quality childcare, whether it be in-home childcare or a school setting, encourages children to grow in an environment that’s filled with learning. For parents who are looking to build their child’s academic career, consider enrolling them in childcare services.

Wonderschool is an all-in-one childcare search service that gives parents access to hundreds of programs in their region. Our schools provide a learning environment where your child can improve their education in a way they enjoy. With Wonderschool, finding Los Angeles childcare is as easy as clicking a few buttons! Visit Wonderschool today and find quality childcare in Los Angeles.