During a parent-teacher conference, the teacher may have reported several test scores to you. Although she may be quite thorough in explaining the meaning of these scores, you still should be very careful in interpreting test results, particularly if your child didn't do so well.There are several reasons for this:1. Your child may have experienced "test-anxiety" and had a hard time performing at his best.2. Your child may not have been familiar with the test materials. If your child hasn't been given an opportunity to learn specific strategies and take sample tests beforehand, he may be at a distinct disadvantage.3. The tests themselves are "artificial" experiences and don't necessarily evaluate true learning. Your child may perform poorly on a standardized test in reading, for example, yet read quite well when he has his favorite books in a comfortable environment in which to read.Remember that test results can be misleading and that the best indication of your child's learning abilities comes from how he performs in the real world.

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is an award-winning author and speaker with twenty-eight years of teaching experience from the primary through the doctoral level, and over one million copies of his books in print on issues related to learning and human development. He is the author of nine books including Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, In Their Own Way, Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius, 7 Kinds of Smart, The Myth of the A.D.D. Child, ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom, and Awakening Genius in the Classroom. His books have been translated into sixteen languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, Danish, and Russian.