Straight ‘A’ students may flunk real world test

Jan. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Dear Dr. Fournier:

My child is a straight A student. I am very proud of her accomplishments, but I fear that something is missing. I know she is book-smart and school-smart, but in other things she lacks common sense. Even though she can write an excellent report for school that looks great too, when she wrote a letter to college to ask for information, she had to redo it because her margins and other details were overlooked. This sounds simple, but details count in life.  I read your article that talked about convergent and divergent thinking… is this the problem? How can a child be so smart in school and seem so unready for life?

Eric K.
Houston, TX

Dear Eric:

You are correct in determining that it is a  problem connected to convergent v.s. divergent thinking.  Your daughter’s grades show that she is cognitively very bright, but is not able to apply these “book smarts” to real world situations.  Her creativity is underdeveloped in this regard.

ASSESSMENT

"Good grades" are close to an obsession in our society, yet too often we do not stop to analyze what those grades really mean. In most cases, our children do not make grades on tasks that mimic what they will be required to do in the real world.

For example, children with straight A's in math may have no idea how banking works. When they go to college and use ATM machines as if they were an extension of their parents' pocketbook, the overdrafts can lead to a rude awakening.

Other students know how to do calculus, yet take out student loans without realizing that they just bought themselves the equivalent of a home mortgage, requiring them to pay much more than they borrowed.

Still other students are so conditioned to produce the “right” answer on tests that when asked a general question on a college application – “What are your interests?” - they turn to their parents to determine the proper response. What we can take from this is that school offers no guarantee that our children will learn relevant, common-life skills. That makes our dilemma with ‘A’ students even greater. Parents see their children cruising through school and believe that they are prepared to cruise through life.

It's time to stop and analyze:

What are our children being graded on? What are the results in an ‘A?’ Is the grade based on thinking and analytical skills?

Having an A student may be something to celebrate, but before you throw a party, make sure you understand whether those grades prepare your child for success in school as well as success in life.

WHAT TO DO

Insist on seeing your daughter's tests. Just seeing the grade is not enough to help you assess your child's education. Tests should reflect the two types of learning: convergent and divergent.

Convergent thinking is knowing how to find the one right answer. It includes questions in which you must demonstrate that you were able to identify, apply, or comprehend new content. Multiple choice questions, matching, or fill-in-the-blank questions measure convergent thinking.

If your daughter's tests are measuring only her convergent thinking, then she is being graded on her ability to give back to the teacher what the teacher considers to be the right answers. We are presented with options, and we must depend on our own analytical skills to determine which option is best given the question on the test.

Divergent thinking involves the ability to analyze, interpret, and think through information to make judgments or create new solutions. Divergent test questions differ in that there is no one "right" answer. The students must reach a reasoned conclusion and be able to support it with logical, well-documented information.

Too often students become preoccupied with giving back the answer they believe their teacher wants and forget to think about what would be right for them in the context of their life experiences and opportunities. For the future, our children will need to be continuous learners. Much of the information they memorize in school will quickly become obsolete. Thinking, analyzing, and creating are skills that they will need for a lifetime.

If your daughter's tests fail to balance convergent and divergent thinking, look for opportunities at home to stretch her thinking skills. Instead of “book learning,” focus on “life lessons.”  Your daughter has the know how, just encourage her creativity with the information she has learned, and she will be on her way to applying it outside of school.

CONTACT DR. FOURNIER

Have a question about education, education-related issues or your child’s schoolwork or homework? Ask Dr. Fournier and look for her answer in this column. E-mail your question or comment to Dr. Yvonne Fournier at drfournier@hfhw.net.

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For 30 years, Dr. Yvonne Fournier has been helping children become more successful in school. Her column, "Hassle-Free Homework," was published by Scripps Howard News Service for 20 years. She holds her doctorate in education.