[ High School and Self-Education Board ]
Posted by Lynne on 13:23 Apr 17
In Reply to: Could someone please treat me like a 3yo and hold my hand through a bunch of AP questions . . . posted by Luann in ID
I firmly agree that AP exams are not the way to test subjects where a student is weak. If your dc are weaker in certain areas and want to place out of requirements that *are not* followed by upper level work (someone used the example of biology followed by physiology) this would be a great place to use CLEP (assuming the college accepts them). They are a much simpler, lower-level-thinking kind of test that would be perfect for that situation.
As far as self-study, we did this last year with chemistry and this year with comp. sci. Next year we're shooting for three at once, but I've already taken the mindset that if one, or even two, don't seem to be progressing as hoped then he'll just study to the degree he can and give it a best shot--or not take the exam. (In our state the fees are paid by govt., so I don't have as much concern about paying $80 for a flop. If we had to pay, I'd only have him go for "sure things"!)
We did AP for rigorous verification of his skills, particularly in his best subjects. It's a nice way to "showcase" a strong area. We did CLEP for getting credits out of the way. I'm totally glad we've done both. Both have been good for practicing general test prep and study skills, as well as time management and organizational skills. However, AP have really brought a new level of rigor and accountability...and stress! It's been great for ds to experience that in a supportive home environment. Even if he failed his test, the study skills and high-stakes testing environment would have been worth it for me. He will be well prepared to take college exams.
The CB site offers only a few sample syllabi. You can get a lot by googling the subject you're interested in. However, I've found that I just use these as a guide to know how teachers are covering certain material, books they are using, etc. You can find very complete syllabi (I'll link a great site for English, as an example), but I've just never been able to take one as is. In the end, you can make your own or just follow the content of the textbook alongside a good study guide. For chemistry, ds just worked through his books (Apologia) and then worked through a study guide and the old free response questions available on the apcentral site. They come with complete answers, grading guides, critiques, and lists of common errors.
Ds is my oldest child, and first experiment with AP testing. He has great memory skills and tests well. He also wants to pursie a challenging major at a selective university. Next ds will likely *not* take them. He's dyslexic and tests poorly--though he might be able to swing the calc. exam since math is his best subject. This ds does not have the same college goals, either, and so I don't feel he has as much need to "prove" himself. We'll make the decision with each kiddo as they come, depending on strengths, testing ability, need for rigor and challenge, college goals, etc.
In my case, ds totally self-studies. I get him what he needs, make sure he sees pertinent material from the apcentral website, etc.--but I don't teach. I check in on his progress here and there, but not grade-wise. I mainly ask things like, "How do you think you're coming along with XYZ?" Last year I helped him see how he might need to budget his time to finish his material on schedule, but this year he's doing all that. I do spend a lot of time researching the materials and preparing beforehand, but that's about it. I don't know that I'd tackle a course on my own unless my dc was highly self-motivated. Otherwise it would be such a big headache--but that's just me.
People certainly take more than one exam per year, but I think I'd start with one to get a feel for it.
I like discussing this subject because it's been an important one for us, and one I had a hard time figuring out on my own. If you have other questions, I hope you will ask!