While many people put weight on the idea that assessment tests like the CogAT test are important in determining a student’s abilities and performance level while in elementary, high school or college, few believe these tests have long term implications outside the classroom. A study published in 2008 proves otherwise. That study showed that the […]
Some school systems and state departments of education offer informational sessions for parents with regard to gifted test methods and the specific assessment tests that are used in gifted and talented testing for kids. Unfortunately, most parents don’t have access to such resources, which makes the prospect of their kids going through gifted testing something […]
In the decades since the CogAT and other student abilities and IQ assessment tests were introduced into the public school system, many different examination methods and tools have been used by schools across the nation. However, in recent years, many have argued that the gifted and talented programs in various school districts actually misrepresent the […]
My daughter just turned 3 and seems to be bright as she has been reading for the past year and seems to enjoy it. However, when she was born she had some fluid in both of her ears and this went unnoticed for 1 year. At 1 year we had tubes put in but then […]
I think it is great that you are teaching your children two languages as they are growing up. My question to you is, what are your plans for school? Will they be tested for private school or a gifted program? If so, it is possible that growing up speaking two languages will limit them in […]
Six months out is the ideal time to get started with your prepping. Many parents start earlier. Here’s why getting such an early start matters. If you start early and your child does really well on everything, then you can back down and wait until the six weeks before the test and do daily practice […]
These blue and yellow pattern tiles are modeled after those commonly used in the WPPSI-III (ERB), WISC-IV, Stanford-Binet 4 and 5, Slosson Intelligence Test – Primary (SIT-P). Practice with these will help prepare children for these tests and other instruments that assess visual-spatial reasoning in children (such as the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Tests – NNAT, […]
More than two million children enter private kindergarten each year, and in some cities, getting into private school is as competitive as getting into Harvard. But testing isn’t just a private-school phenomenon: the almost eight million children who will enter public school each year will also be assessed when they arrive in the classroom and […]
SHHHH! DON’T TELL YOUR KIDS THIS IS GOOD FOR THEM. * Over 1,500 practice items to prepare your child for the WPPSI™-III (ERB), Stanford-Binet™ 5, OLSAT™ and Bracken™ tests. * Over 500 practice questions for the NNAT™ and WPPSI™-IV tests! * Tested by experts and kids. Kids’ most common response: “Let’s play again!” * Secret […]
Get Kids to Listen without Nagging, Reminding or Yelling! TestingMom.com is excited to partner with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions to offer a free live training webinar on Wednesday, June 8th from 9-10 PM Eastern Time. This will help you when you work with your child on OLSAT practice test questions! We hope […]
Google (you know, the search guys and gals!) invited TestingMom.com to Washington DC to discuss how Google has helped TestingMom.com launch at the national level in super fast speed. TestingMom.com co-founders, Karen Quinn and Michael McCurdy, spent the day meeting members of Congress and their staff members to discuss the positives aspects of the internet […]
We’ve heard from many of you regarding the school tours for the NYC gifted and talented program! Now that the OLSAT test is long-gone the school selection process is even MORE stressful! Here’s what we’ve heard from a few of our TestingMom.com members! Tell us your story. Dear Michael, thanks for talking to me last […]
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There’s a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. According to the article there was a 3% increase in students taking the OLSAT test this year get a spot in the coveted NYC gifted and talented program. The article also mentions the “test prep effects” when it comes to the overall score of 99’s children […]
The NYC Department of education delivered results for the Otis Lennon School Abilities Test and the Bracken test to anxious parents in New York City for acceptance into the gifted and talented program. The NYC DOE actually gets an A++ for sending out the results early this year! The test results for the OLSAT and […]
It looks like the NYC department of education site still indicates the OLSAT test results for the New York City gifted and talented program will be announced to parents in early May. We’re getting lots of anxious parents as they wait for the test results for the OLSAT and Bracken tests that were taken in […]
Our Top 1%, 5% and 10% members get free access to our amazing, monthly P.A.L. workshop series held in NYC. Email us at help@tesitngmom.com for registration information for this free event for our top members! It will be located at the Downtown Community Center in Manhattan. This Tuesday we will have a gang buster line up […]
Those who attended the latest workshop in our P.A.L. Series got a crash course in Gifted and Talented admissions testing. We also invited reading expert, Dr. Marion Blank to share her insights to the anxious crowd. We called in the powerhouse experts on gifted and talented admissions process, Dr. Janet Jackson Dr. Robin Arronow to […]
Are G&T kids more academically successful because of their natural gifts or because they are afforded a special environment? Any child fortunate enough to place in the NYC Gifted and Talented program (or any other G&T program in the USA) is undoubtedly expected to perform at a higher level, and the results show that many […]
Kim Hamer, L.A. Admissions Advisor, interviews Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, about test prep for young children. Kim Hamer is the CEO and founder of www.GetIntoPrivateSchool.com. Her focus is to demystify the private elementary admissions process. Her goal is to guide parents through the process, offer tools and proven strategies that enable them to have […]
Karen recently interviewed co-author of NutureShock – New Thinking About Children – Ashley Merryman. Listen to Karen’s interview on the 30-Minute Mom radio show. Or you can read the transcribed version of the show below: Karen Quinn: Welcome to The 30 Minute Mom on WebTalkRadio.net. I’m Karen Quinn, mother of two and your host. Like you I’m […]
Karen Quinn, interviewed Dr. Bernardo Carducci, an expert in child shyness! Here is a transcript of the interview: Karen Quinn: Welcome to The 30 Minute Mom on WebTalkRadio.net. I’m Karen Quinn, mother of two and your host. Like you I’m too busy with real life to read all those advice filled parenting books. On this […]
Listen to the 30 Minute Mom radio show where Karen Quinn interviews Dr. Marion Blank, an expert in child literacy and one of TestingMom.com’s experts! Here’s the transcribed version of the radio show if you prefer to read it instead. Karen Quinn: Welcome to The 30 Minute Mom on WebTalkRadio.net. I’m Karen Quinn, mother of […]
Listen to the 30 Minute Mom radio show where Karen Quinn interviews Dr. Kim Har, an expert in educational testing. Dr. Har has a PhD in education from UCLA and she’s the Director of Early Childhood Education at Aristotle Circle, one of the premiere test prep companies in New York City. Here’s the transcribed version […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-feb28-2011.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 33 minute teleseminar. I have a question in regards to protocol or rather how to handle a phone call from an independent school. Last Monday I sent an email to a school I had applied to “respectfully declining their offer”. Turns out […]
Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, was recently featured in a Chicago Tribune story pertaining to the gifted and talented testing in Chicago. The article talks about the secrecy behind this mysterious test given to pre-K children applying for the Chicago Public Schools gifted and talented program. As with NYC, many parents in Chicago hire private […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-feb1-2011.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 48 minute teleseminar. The private schools we are applying to have school visits where kids are separated from parents and kept for an hour or so “playdate.” What happens during those playdates? Can we prepare? What is the curve/scoring of the OLSAT? How […]
We are pleased to announce that ALL Top 1%, Top 5% and Top 10% active members of TestingMom.com receive free admission to The P.A.L. (Parents of Accelerated Learners) – PARENT WORKSHOP SERIES The workshop series starts on Feb. 15 and is every month through June 2011. Email us at help@testingmom.com to receive your special promo […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-review-test-review-and-QA-jan12-2011.mp3] Click on the player just above to listen to the audio teleseminar hosted by Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, and Michael McCurdy, NYC Gifted and Talented Parent Expert.ake Topics covered during this teleseminar Karen reviews in-depth our TestingMom.com Twenty Questions and how best to ask your child. Q&A answered during this teleseminar: My first question […]
Back by popular demand! We’re having another free teleseminar this Thursday (Jan. 13) night at 8pm to answer more of your questions. Space is very limited so make sure you call in a few minutes early. ‘ Time: 8pm ET, this Thursday, Jan. 13 Call-in Number: email help@testingmom.com to get the phone number! During this teleseminar questions […]
Congrats to Karen on her new radio show. We’ll be posting her weekly show on TestingMom.com so come back often to listen! Here’s a summary of her show: Every parent wants to raise a great kid. Even if we don’t all agree on what it means to be a great kid, we all know one […]
The race is on! The OLSAT testing for the NYC G&T program officially launched today across the city. We’ll be getting updates from parents over the next few weeks over what happened at the testing sites. Stay tuned for more as we head into testing season! Michael ~ NYC gifted and talented parent expert.
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-jan6-2011.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 53 minute teleseminar. Questions answered during this seminar. What’s the difference between the ERB and WPPSI test? Are they the same test? I hear parents talking about the test and sometimes it sounds like the same thing but other times it doesn’t. […]
We receive this question quite a bit from parents and the answer is “yes and no”. For the NYC Gifted and Talented Program OLSAT test, you do have the opportunity to review your child’s OLSAT test results, but you must schedule a time to go to the NYC Dept. of Education (located downtown at 400 […]
MAP, which stands for Measures of Academic Progress, is a test that looks at achievement in math, reading, language use, and science. It is taken on the computer and it is unique because adjust to the level that the child: if the child is having a hard time, the questions get easier and, likewise, the […]
Working with OLSAT practice questions If you’re using a workbook to practice OLSAT Verbal questions, giving your daughter more of the same type of question will not help if she’s already not getting it. Instead, look at the skill behind the question and work on it in the real world. For instance, a workbook question […]
Hunter College Elementary Round 2 Hunter College Elementary is a school in Manhattan for gifted and talented children. The school is publicly funded and only open to residents of Manhattan. It is not part of the public school system. The Hunter School is very competitive because it is unique in that it is a research […]
Whether the child can change his or her answer is decided by the proctor on a case by case basis. Generally, the proctor will allow the child to change answers if they do so before moving on to another question. Most proctors are very flexible and care about making sure the child gives their best […]
For kindergarten, the child will be required to mark the sheet by his or herself, but the exam proctor may give them help filling out the sheet if they need it. Keep in mind that the proctor is not allowed to redirect the child at all, which means they cannot help your child decide which […]
Testing in Pre-K tends to be done in a one-on-one setting, but testing in kindergarten is less consistent. Your daughter may take the test one-on-one or in a group with three or four other children, depending on how big her class is. You should check with your daughters school to get information regarding the test […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-dec16-2010.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 33 minute teleseminar. When does the school notify the parents when their child will take the exam? I know the dates for next year, I am looking for a time period. i.e.: one week before the exam etc? Will my daughter take […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-dec2-20101.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 31 minute teleseminar. My child did great on the Stanford Binet and ERB. Now it is time for the OLSAT and Bracken. Can I assume she will perform just as well? I would like to talk about 2 letters I got from […]
[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 […]
Unless a child is formally diagnosed with a disability and has testing accommodations that are mandated by law, he/she will not receive any such accommodations when being tested. Also important to know is that standardized tests are generally administered only in English, and that, due to the standardized nature of these measures, testers typically can […]
Again, this depends for each child. If you have an older child, you might explain to him/her that adults are very interested in how kids think, and that even if they ask “easy” questions sometimes, that he/she should still consider the question seriously and do his/her best when answering. If you have a younger child, […]
This depends from child to child. The bottom line is that you want your child to have fun while learning. Therefore, if you sense that your child is starting to suffer from “overload” and seems not to enjoy the games as much as he/she may previously have, you should definitely consider giving him/her a break […]
The ability to focus and remain attentive for extended periods of time, like any other skill, is something that can be improved with practice. Start out by first finding out what your child’s current “threshold” is by working with him/her and simply seeing how long he/she can go before starting to get distracted or bored. […]
Do not expect too much right away. Developmentally, young children simply cannot acquire and retain large amounts of new information overnight. The best way to prepare is to start working in advance, just 10-15 minutes a day. Slow and steady wins the race.
Preparation for the SAT/ACT exams for high schoolers is not “necessary.” However, there are likely very few parents who do not, at the very least, purchase a basic practice book for their child to use for these important college entrance exams. Similarly, while preparation for early childhood entrance exams may not be “necessary,” why would […]
Your question touches on a truly complex issue in the social realm. We regularly use terms that seem clear and simple—concepts that we are sure we understand. But if you have to pinpoint exactly what the terms mean, the concepts resist definition. Try, for example, getting five people to agree on the meaning of words […]
That is always a hard one! I would suggest that you go ahead and have your child tested for gifted program and see how he does. If he qualifies for a good one (or if you find a really good public general ed program), enroll him and if you are happy with the program, you […]
When you apply, tell the private schools that he is currently in public school kindergarten. Let them know that you are applying him to their kindergarten program, given their birthday cut off, but that you are open to putting him in first grade if they think that is the best placement. Most likely, they would […]
If your child is being assessed by a proctor for public school, she will be more limited in what she can do to warm your child up. There are more restrictions on public school evaluators in how they interact with kids. For example, they can’t always say, “Oh come on, give it your best guess,” […]
If you are a member of TestingMom.com, you can go to the section on the site for the test your child is taking and go through 20 – 30 minutes of practice questions as long as your child is able to focus. The questions can be printed or you can use our interactive practice questions. […]
No, most private middle schools open up at least one full classroom of spaces, sometimes more. They take many children who are leaving public school. Your child will have to test to get into the private school, so you may have to hire a tutor to prepare her, but you will have saved many years […]
Private schools are looking for children who will do well in their program. For example, if it is a tougher, academically-oriented school, then higher scores on a test will be the first hurdle toward acceptance. Private schools are looking for classes that are balanced in terms of boys, girls, diversity and temperaments. So, if a […]
They should, but if you sent the application in and they haven’t contacted you in a reasonable amount of time, call them. You can say that you are calling to confirm that they received the application. As long as you have them on the line, go ahead and set up the appointments. In some cases […]
Avoid talking to other parents who are going through the admissions process at the same time you are because you’ll hear things that will freak you out. Half the time, what they say will be wrong. They may repeat gossip they’ve heard or share information about school reputations, which are often years out of date. […]
If at all possible, identify a public school in your zone that you can absolutely send your child to if you want to. If you have a good back-up school you can rely on, you won’t be as stressed going through the admissions process for private school or gifted programs. If you can’t find a […]
This will depend on the school district you are in. In some cases, the same test is given for kindergarten entry and for 1st grade (and beyond) entry. If the test is the same, it tends to get more difficult as the grade levels go up. In other cases, the tests themselves may change to […]
In Testing For Kindergarten, I talk about the 7-abilities children need to do well at testing and in school. They are: language/listening, knowledge/comprehension, memory, math, thinking, visual-spatial, and fine-motor skills. Any good nursery school curriculum already incorporates all of these abilities into the material they teach. The teacher may not be thinking about every activity in […]
If you are going to take your child to a testing facility or a psychologist’s office to be evaluated, here are some tips to help her do well: Make sure your child is rested and feeling well on the day of the test. Reschedule if she isn’t feeling well. Don’t take your child to be […]
When you have more than one child that you are trying to get into private school, it can get tricky. There are usually a limited number of spots in a private school, and with twins, one family gets two spaces. Private schools depend on parents giving to the annual fund and by letting one family […]
There are no fees for public school, just your tax dollars. And yes, you still have to pay those even if your child is in private school. I want to point out, however, that even if you have a child in private school, if your child has learning delays, your local Board of Education still […]
I’m not a huge fan of tutoring because I think parents can do so much more at home in the course of daily life. That said, it may be helpful for some kids who are very shy and need to learn to warm up to an adult tester. If you do use a tutor, make […]
In New York City, all of the private schools send out their acceptances on the same day making it easy to commit because they all have the same deadline. However, the public gifted and talented programs send out their acceptances much later. In other cities, private schools do not necessarily mail acceptances on the same […]
Administrators try to take the “personality” aspect out of the equation as much as they can. In a city such as NY, where thousands of tests are being administered, proctors are given specific instructions that they can say the question, but they cannot repeat it. They cannot prompt a child or clarify a question, that […]
The directions are as clear as they can be for a tester as to when a child receives credit for an answer and when she does not. As it happens, with coding, vertical and horizontal lines or circles don’t need to be perfectly drawn as long as the mark is recognizable. With the WPPSI®, each […]
I’m assuming you are in NY and if this is the case, you can’t really hold your child back a year and get her tested later in the hopes that she will do better. This is true in most public school districts across the country. You have a window of time that your child must […]
Math is in our everyday lives and is all around us. You can “do math” while walking down the street by counting cars, blocks or stop signs. Make a game of figuring out when you pass 2 green cars and then 5 red cars, how many cars are there all together? Your child may need […]
I would suggest introducing her to people in your neighborhood. Walk around town and take notice of all the different people who work in the stores, police or crossing guards and taxi drivers, (if you live in a city) introduce yourself, say a few kind words and maybe even shake their hands. You will be […]
If you suspect your child has weak fine motor skills it may be beneficial to have him evaluated at an early age for some early intervention work. The younger the child receives the intervention the less it will interfere when the demand and need for fine motor skills is present in his life, such as […]
It is quite normal for young children to be active and to want to move about frequently. We are asking our children to “be still” at younger and younger ages. With that said, you can still help your child practice sitting for longer periods of time. I would suggest having a designated reading time each […]
Depending on where you live and where your child will attend school the Kindergarten teachers will have different expectations. I would advise you read with your child each day. Teachers notice when children gravitate towards books and have a love of hearing, telling and “reading” stories. It also builds their language development. You can also […]
What’s the rush? Best to wait a year for private school if that’s what you prefer. Or, go public.
No. ERB scores are so very important, in fact, they count for at least one third of your admissions profile. The 3 major components of your admissions file contain: 1) Your child’s ERBs. 2) Your child’s nursery school report, which most likely contains information about you. And, 3) Your family and/or child’s interview and tour. […]
Trust your gut. After touring and interviewing, plus attending an open house, you should be able to tell if you feel comfortable at any given school. If this is not enough, try walking by a school as students arrive in the morning or at dismissal to get a better sense of the student population and […]
This is an excellent question—or rather an excellent set of questions. I will address each one—but they are best answered in reverse order. So let’s start with the question as to whether parents should initiate the teaching of reading or wait for the schools to do it. The answer here rests with a statistic that […]
Correlations involve some complicated issues. For a start, correlation coefficients, which can range from -1.0 to +1.0, are arrived at through group data. In other words, a group of children might be given two different IQ tests and the correlation would reflect how consistent the scores tended to be from one test to the other for the […]
Let’s start with the easy question first—the role of bilingualism in language development. There is research on the question you have posed. It indicates that if a child has language problems (such as articulation problems, auditory discrimination difficulties, etc.), then bilingualism is an added burden. However, if there are no such problems, bilingualism is actually […]
There are many attributes of gifted children. Some children may be gifted in the arts, such as music and drawing, while others might be gifted with certain athletic abilities. When it comes to gifted testing in the schools it’s more on the academic side of being gifted. If you think your child is gifted review […]
Over the past few weeks members of the TestingMom.com team attended the parents information sessions for the NYC gifted and talented program in each of the 5 boroughs! The crowds were strongest in Manhattan and Brooklyn with Queens not too far behind. We even hopped on the ferry to attend the session in Staten Island […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-nov11-2010.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above. Here are the questions answered during this 36 minute teleseminar. 1. Thank You for these fun activities, they have been very helpful for me and my 4 year old daugther. I also wanted to know what kind of activities can i do for my 4 year old to improve […]
This past weekend Michael McCurdy, co-founder of TestingMom.com, presented at the AGATE (Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education in New York) conference in New Rochelle, New York. Parents and educators gathered to hear gifted and talented experts from all over the nation to go over a variety of topics pertaining to gifted and talented in […]
[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/Karen-Michael-weekly-QA-nov4-2010.mp3] Questions covered in this tele-seminar: 1. How do you help a child who is shy to warm-up around adults for testing purposes? 2. What does my child need to know before a school interview and how best to prepare? 3. How do I build up my child’s testing stamina for the test that takes […]
Last night I attended the NYC Department of Education Parents Information Session for the Gifted and Talented Program in the Bronx. The parents came out in force and I estimated over 150+ involved moms and dads rushing into the session to learn more about the program, OLSAT testing and how the process works. I was […]
Tonight there was a NYC gifted and talented program information in Queens at Long Island City High School. Parents streamed into the auditorium to hear representatives from the NYC Department of Education give an overview of the gifted and talented program, OLSAT test procedures, transportation to gifted and talented schools in NYC along with a few […]
Our very own Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, was recently featured in a Miami Herald article. The article features Karen’s new game IQ Fun Park along with her incredible book Testing for Kindergarten (a must have for all parents!). Of course, TestingMom.com is mentioned as well and the article mentions quite a few testing tips for parents […]
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[audio:https://cdn.testingmom.com/uploads/questions-from-info-sessions.mp3] Listen to the teleseminar above where Karen and Michael of TestingMom.com answer questions from parents attending a recent information session about Gifted and Talented programs in Public vs Private Schools. (42 minutes) 1. Can you talk about the difference between a G&T program versus a regular public classroom versus a private school? 2. In […]
The past few days were super busy for TestingMom.com and all the guest speakers for our seminars for NYC gifted and talented programs, private school admissions and OLSAT, WPPSI and Bracken testing. Parents crammed into the downtown community center in Tribeca where Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, Dr. Har, testing expert from Aristotle Circle (and […]
The NYC department of education posted the NYC gifted and talented program handbooks for parents and also dates for the information sessions to take place next week! All 5 boroughs will have information. We’ll be posting details from the information sessions in the coming days.
The NYC DOE Announces the Dates and Locations of Information Sessions for Gifted and Talented. They’ll answer questions about the testing and OLSAT and Bracken test dates, times, locations. October 18, 2010 – 6:30-8:00pm Gifted and Talented Parent Informational Forum Louis D. Brandeis Educational Campus 145 West 84th Street, New York, NY 10024 October 25, […]
Last night Karen Quinn and Michael McCurdy from TestingMom.com held an Insiders Guide to the Kindergarten Admissions Process at Big City Moms on the Upper East Side. We had well over 50 parents parents attend to learn more about the process for gifted and talented and private school programs in New York City. Karen and […]
For Parents in the New York City Area Seminar: Insiders Guide to the Kindergarten Admissions Process in New York City – Private Schools and Gifted and Talented Programs for pre-k to 2nd grades Date and Times – You’ll Be Sent Location After You Pre-Register. Please no children. Thursday, October 7 at 7pm Tribeca/Downtown area – […]
Hi TestingMom.com members – The NYC Department of Education announced some dates for the NYC gifted and talented test handbooks for students in grades pre-K through second grade. There are two tests given for NYC G&T – the OLSAT test (Otis-Lennon) and the Bracken Test (BSRA). October 12, 2010 Gifted and Talented Information Handbooks will […]
