Iowa Test for Students in Grades 2 and 3

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - March 24th, 2013

As your child grows, progresses and learns, the version of the Iowa Test they take changes with their new skills. In grades two and three, children take Levels 7 and 8 of the ITBS, respectively.

At Levels 7 and 8, children are tested on eleven subjects. These include Vocabulary, Word Analysis, Reading, Listening, Language, Word Concepts, Math Problems and Computation, Social Studies, Science and Sources of Information. Test sections are read aloud by teachers with the exceptions of Vocabulary and Reading. More details are available at http://www.riverpub.com/products/itbs/details.html.

This contrasts with children in the fourth grade, who take a more all-encompassing ITBS test than their younger peers. The ITBS for fourth graders is known as Level 9. This version of the Iowa Test includes Language, Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Sources of Information, and Social Studies. The sections on Language, Sources of Information, and Math are then divided up into additional subcategories. Additionally, children in the fourth grade are given sections on Word Analysis and Listening, although those sections are not included for levels above Level 9.

While many parents tend to worry about helping their children prepare for the Iowa test, there’s no need to become anxious. These tests are designed to measure and assess skill your child has already learned in school. Reviewing your child’s recent assignments, tests and the portions of their textbooks they’ve already covered in class will give you a very well-rounded guide for test preparation. Unlike other standardized tests which are very different from the tests and quizzes your child takes on a regular basis, the Iowa Test format is typically quite familiar to students. This gives you a head start in preparing your child, since you aren’t starting from scratch in terms of getting them familiar with the format and “feel” of the test. This can save you considerable time, energy, and frustration!