Karen and Michael Answer Questions of the Week (Audio Teleseminar Nov. 18, 2010) – Top 1% and Top 5%

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - December 20th, 2010

[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-nov18-2010.mp3]

Listen to the tele-seminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 41 minute tele-seminar.

• What do I do if my child does not get a concept (the spatial matrices), no matter how much I try to teach him?  He just does not get those type of questions correct.
• How can I find out what IQ test they use in my public school? Is this info usually readily available? Can you guide me in the direction on where I can have my child’s IQ tested. We live in NJ.
• Worked a lot with my 4.5 year old following your guidelines. she took the SB and was out of there in 30 minutes.  Then did the same in the ERB – 30 mins.  disappointing results. She is very bright, just doesn’t seem to want to keep at it. any advice for stretching the kid’s drive to sit and continue on?
• I also had been meaning to ask you a question that occurred to me while I was reading your book. So much of what you wrote resonated with me, except for one thing. It seemed like the whole process of working with a child in the way that you did, i.e. snuggling up together to do activity time after work etc., lends itself to the family with only one child. (Even though I know you have 2.)  What about the kid who has a little sibling that takes up so much of mom’s time when they get home at night? Everything you described would be within our reach if it weren’t for the fact that we have a 1 and a half year old who wants to be involved in everything!  What advice do you have to work with your child when there’s another vying for attention?
• When the proctor asks the question, what is the best concept to get the child to retain the question?  Our kids are trying to remember the entire question, instead of focusing on the pertinent part of the question.  So how should a child decipher the pertinent part of the question?
• Not sure if I can attend, and not sure if this has been covered already – but wondering if the kid can get in trouble for saying that he has practiced test questions at home? My son loves doing the test questions and refers to them as ‘test questions’ – should we call them something else?
• What languages does the NYC DOE give the OLSAT test in?
• Last year my daughter was Round 2 Hunter and had a top OLSAT score, but didn’t get into Hunter and didn’t get a lottery seat at Nest or Anderson.  We decided not to do any of the district schools as she is very young for the grade and liked the community feeling and quality of our local PS 234 in Tribeca.  Still, we’ll have her tested again to see if we can get any lottery seats at citywide schools.  Do you know if the OLSAT is any different for 1st grade entry than it was into K?  I can’t seem to find this information anywhere and figured you may know.
• Also, with a late November birthday, do you know how the groupings work for scores?  Are are all October-December birthdays grouped together regardless of when someone is tested within the few week period (ie better to have a later testing date) or is one’s age grouping based on age when the test is administered?  For the latter, do you know the age ranges?
• This is the first time I am enrolling my child to take the test. I was wondering if you knew any programs or have any practice test for my child. I am a low earning income mom and I found one place
  that wants to charge $990.00 for a two month program. Is this normal? I’m really not sure how this works if you can please give me some info that would be greatly appreciated!