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How Many Words Do You You Share With Your Child Every Day? Did you know that talking to your child is one of the most important things you can do for your child’s intellectual development? Don’t take my word for it — Drs. Betty Hart and Todd Risley analyzed more than 46,000 hours of speech […]

A Letter for Karen Is your child impulsive and rambunctious? If so, I wanted to share a question a mom from Florida asked me, because she brings up a problem that so many parents struggle with. Her son is very smart and does super well in school. His teachers for the last 2 years have […]

Great News! If your child loves music, I’ve got some great news: Basic Music Competency (BMC) is the ability to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm. Unfortunately, no one can learn to play an instrument without it, and a BMC-lacking person won’t be able to recognize if the melody is right or notice […]

This email from a parent tells all about gifted and talented testing. Take a look inside the process from a parent’s perspective. Parent Tells All I wanted to let you know my son took the test this past Saturday. We went to the school and my son was actually very calm. I took your advice about […]

What is Dialogic Reading? Dialogic reading (a technique developed by Dr. Grover J. Whitehurst) is a method where you not only read aloud to your child, but you also carry on a conversation about the book as you’re reading. So, gently guide your child through questions and expansions on what he or she says while […]

Ruling Against the Parents Well, it looks like some NYC gifted and talented students are more equal than others at least according to Judge Alice Schlesinger, who ruled against the parents who recently appeared in the court. The judge agreed with the NYC dept of ed on their sibling policy (that they changed back to […]

How’s Your Follow Through? How many times have you threatened disciplinary actions if your child doesn’t listen and obey, only to fail when it’s time to follow through?  Whenever it happened to me I’d think, “Wow, I’m a follow-through failure!” Years ago, our two-year-old daughter Schuyler asked for grape soda as we were walking into […]

Competitive Nursery Schools If you are thinking about applying your child to nursery school in a city like New York or Los Angeles, where getting into nursery school can be as competitive as getting into an Ivy League, here are some of the most frequently asked questions parents ask on about the admissions process. Why is […]

What are the signs of a gifted child? There are many signs of a gifted child and some possible signs include: excellent memory, great sense of humor, morally sensitive, perfectionist, questions authority and good at jigsaw puzzles. Take the 5 question quiz! Well, the folks at Testing Mom (home of the 100 free practice questions) […]

Children love competition. Board games give them the chance to learn to win or lose (with grace, we hope!).  When children play board games, they are strengthening their mathematical, vocabulary, thinking, memory skills – and that’s just the beginning. Games Bring Growth in ALL Areas. By rolling the dice and moving their player on the […]

Overburdened Parent We’ve all encountered those moments when we’ve felt overwhelmed with one too many life commitments and guiltily realized that we weren’t giving “all” to our child(ren).  This is a horrible feeling when you know you’re just flying by the seat of your pants in the parental department when you’d prefer to be receiving […]

If you’re a parent of a public school student in a state that has adopted Common Core standards, then you’ve certainly heard of the opt-out movement – where students (with their parent’s blessings) are declining to take the mandated math and English Language Arts (ELA) tests.   Parents and students object to these tests for […]

As you know I’m a big proponent of using both on-line and off-line activities to prepare your child for testing and school success.  For on-line preparation, nothing beats www.TestingMom.com for practice tests, educational games and lessons for every aspect of kindergarten readiness. Right now, we’re having a big sale where you can become a top member […]

If you live in a city where finding and getting into the best preschool or kindergarten takes research and legwork, but is infinitely doable, you can stop reading right now.  You don’t need an admissions consultant to help you.  Chances are, you won’t be able to find one because there isn’t enough business in your […]

When it comes to nursery school admissions, there are some questions you may ask and details that you need to know. Here are 12 of the top questions parents ask about nursery school admissions…answered!   1. How difficult is it to get my child into a private nursery school?   It depends where you live.  […]

If the test is to get your child into a gifted program, do you really want to take the chance that there’s something getting in the way of her testing well and you don’t know about it? Prepare Your Child   We know that the test itself can impact whether or not a child is considered […]

Often parents hear about gifted kids who also have learning disabilities. These kids are known as “twice exceptional.”   Sometimes their teachers call them “lazy” or “average”. The teachers don’t recognize the child’s gift because the disability masks or distracts from it.  Parents sense that their kids are smart, feel in their gut that their kids […]

When it comes to choosing single sex over co-ed schools or vice versa, the evidence is not that clear.  For every study that finds one approach better than the other, there is another study that says the opposite.    Here are the arguments made for each.  My suggestion is that you visit a single sex […]

After reading this article, you may be asking why. Why should I give my child an IQ test? The most common reason to test a young child is for a school gifted and talented program or for admission to a private school. Sometimes parents just know that their child is ahead of his or her […]

NEW! Quantitative Battery, NonVerbal Battery and Verbal Battery CogAT® levels correspond with the age of the child.  A child who is 5 or 6 will take the CogAT Level 5/6.  A 10-year-old will take Level 10, and so on.  Questions for Levels 5/6 – 8 are picture based.  Questions for Levels 9 – 17/18 are […]

Today we finish up our series on the most common mistakes kids make in test-taking by centering in on understanding best practices in test taking. This series addresses helping very young children, ages 4-7, overcome and avoid these common mistakes. Yesterday, we discussed mechanical issues. We will end this series with the best part–helping your child understand how to take a […]

Continuing our series on the most common mistakes kids make in test-taking, let’s look squarely at a problem that could easily be avoided–mechanical issues. This series addresses helping very young children, ages 4-7, overcome and avoid these common mistakes. Yesterday, we talked about attention issues, as children make mistakes due to focus problems. Today, I want to hone in on a […]

As we continue our new series on the most common mistakes kids make in test-taking, it would be incomplete if we did not address attention issues. This series addresses helping very young children, ages 4-7, overcome and avoid these common mistakes. On Friday, I pointed out that sometimes kids respond in a certain way, because they feel out […]

We are continuing our new series on the most common mistakes kids make in test-taking.   This series addresses helping very young children, ages 4-7, overcome and avoid these common mistakes.  For instance, in yesterday’s post, we recommended that you observe your child working through a set of practice questions.  This will give you specifics to focus […]

Today, we are beginning a new series on the most common mistakes kids make in test-taking. We will begin with very young children, ages 4-7, for this series and will be addressing older children in the weeks to come.  In this series we want to show you how to help your child overcome these mistakes, […]

Did you know? You can increase your child’s odds of getting into the kindergarten of your choice even if you live in an insanely competitive admissions market like New York City, San Francisco or Los Angeles. And if you’re in a less difficult market like Miami, Denver or Houston, what I’m going to reveal will […]

Every so often, we hear from parents who are searching desperately for something to help their child, but worry that a Top membership to TestingMom.com won’t fit the bill. These parents know about our site, but they think that it’s only for a certain category of children, or that their child’s needs are outside of […]

Today, in our final installment in choosing preschool, combination schools take the best from the other choices and create a mixture that fits the families it serves. Combination schools use a mixture of the approaches we have already discussed: Montessori, Progressive and Traditional.  What does a combination school look like? You might find a program using the […]

So far we have looked into Montessori and Progressive schools, but today let’s look at the preschool traditional model. What is the Preschool Traditional Model Approach? In the traditional classroom, also called cognitive and structured, there is a structured curriculum with specific goals for the children.  Goals are built around teaching children math, letters, numbers, […]

Which preschool program is right for your child? Yesterday we addressed the elements of Montessori schools.  Today I want to walk you through progressive schools. What are progressive schools?  They are also known as developmental, child-centered and bank street model. This is the model I chose for my kids and we did love it.  What is […]

Yesterday I asked the question which preschool is right for your child.  Let’s begin with Montessori schools. Personally, I love Montessori schools and encourage you to tour one and see for yourself.    Not only do kids learn a lot, but they are taught not to start a new project until they put the materials […]

When it comes to preschool admissions – Montessori, Progressive (a.k.a. Child-Centered), or Traditional (a.k.a. Cognitive), which program is right for your child?  Today I’m beginning another series on choosing schools for your child. This time I’m asking which preschool is right for your child. Over the next five days, I hope to shed a light for you […]

If you happen to live in a city where getting your kid into preschool or kindergarten is as tough as getting a child into Harvard, take heart.  There are things you can do to increase your child’s odds of acceptance. Getting into competitive school is not beyond you–these are tried strategies that have worked for other […]

We have covered religious (private) and private school choices for kindergarten admissions, but our search would be incomplete without this final day of public school choice. As I said, there is no right answer to the question, “is private or public school better?”. There are advantages and disadvantages to either choice. Today I want to focus solely on […]

As I shared yesterday in part one, there is no right answer to the question, “is private or public school better?”. There are advantages and disadvantages to either choice.  I spoke specifically about religious schooling yesterday, which is a private school choice.   Today, I want to focus on private schools that are not religiously affiliated. […]

When you are thinking about which kindergarten is best for your child, one of the first things to consider is whether you want a private school, public school, or religious school (which are private).  This is a very personal decision for every family.  Money is an obvious consideration, but there are other factors as well, […]

When my kids were young, I had a love-hate relationship with that two-week school vacation they’d get over the holidays. I always took time off from work, so this was a real opportunity for us to make beautiful memories together. It was also a heck of a lot of pressure! Could I make the time […]

This holiday season, be smart about the toys and games you choose for your kids by going for gifts that make them smarter. They never need to know that the games they are playing are good for them, but you’ll know and that’s the important part! Buying any of these educational toys for your kids is […]

Test Prep Kit disguised as a board game is like making spinach taste like chocolate pudding – kids have no idea it’s good for them! I never set out to invent a board game. After writing Testing For Kindergarten (a book that helped parents prepare their kids for early childhood tests like the OLSAT, CogAT, […]

Top Tips on Preventing Brain Drain this Summer! It’s that time of year again with sleep away camps, vacations and swimming! With all the fun in the sun it’s easy to forget about keeping your child’s mind active during the long break from school. Unfortunately, many parents forget that a long break from school means […]

  Looking for an ELA practice test 4th grade? You’re not alone: millions of parents across the country are in need of practice materials for the Common Core state standards test, which consists of math and ELA, or English Language Arts, questions.  But before you go looking for an ELA practice test 4th grade, it’s […]

Parents looking for Houston Gifted and Talented practice are often at a loss as to where to start. The testing process can be complicated, and it can be difficult to track down practice materials. Fortunately, all it takes is a little research and preparation to make sure that your child earns a top score on […]

This time of year, the summer slide looms as kids begin to mentally check out of school. As kids get ready to spend more time in front of the TV or playing video games, they run the risk of losing up to three months of progress that they made in school the year before. This […]

Looking for summer math programs for your little one can be a real challenge. Of course, these programs are highly sought-after by parents once the final school bell rings, since kids lose months of progress over the summer when they’re not in class. This is especially true for kids who aren’t great at math to […]

We have talked on this blog about how to prevent summer learning loss before. It’s no secret that summer brain drain, or summer slump, occurs for any child who goes all summer without consistent practice with the subjects they learn in school every day. The reason for this is obvious: when kids aren’t parked in […]

Looking for practice questions for the FxAT ™ test? You’re not alone: parents across Fairfax County, Virginia are concerned about their child’s performance on the test that determined whether they get into the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) in Fairfax County, Virginia. The FxAT test, or Fairfax Abilities Test™ is, like so many other gifted tests […]

The summer slide is a real problem, with kids across the country losing ground when they’re not in school day in and day out. It’s no secret by now that, without the structure and content of going to school every day, kids lose nearly 3 months of progress that they made in the previous school […]

Parents across the country are up in arms about math common core questions. These questions are thought to be overly complicated and involved. Parents and advocates have posted photos showing math questions made up of a labyrinth of numbers being “paired” and “broken apart” in a way that most adults never saw when they were […]

Parents across the country are beginning to prepare for the WISC®-5 test, also known as the WISC-V test or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children® — Fifth Edition. Here’s a practice question for the WISC-V test. This is called a “figure weights” question, meaning that your child needs to weigh the figures on each side […]

Many parents write to us wondering, “Is my state PARCC or SBAC?” If this sounds like a foreign language to you, it’s something you should start thinking about for your own child. PARCC and SBAC are the two major consortia associated with the Common Core State Standards, the new state tests that made their debut […]

Parents across the country worry about summer learning loss around this time of year. This describes the phenomenon whereby students lose, on average, 3 months of progress they made during the school year. The losses are worse for math than they are for reading. This is bad enough on its face, but think about what […]

Parents across Virginia are familiar with the Virginia SOL test. This state standards test is given to kids in third through eighth grade and covers math, science, English, and social studies. Virginia has decided not to join any of the consortia associated with the Common Core State Standards, instead choosing to stick with the Virginia […]

Around this time every year, parents begin worrying about the dreaded “summer slide.” This term defines the phenomenon whereby kids lose ground over the summer due to the fact that they aren’t going to school every day and bringing work home with them. Many parents scoff at the notion that the summer slide is something […]

Lots of ink has been spilled talking about the PARCC vs. SBAC test, but one question we keep hearing from parents is: Which one is harder? That’s not as straightforward of a question as it sounds. The PARCC and SBAC, or Smarter Balanced, are two consortia that are both aligned with the Common Core State […]

Many parents wonder about Common Core vs. traditional state tests. After all, until just a few years ago each state had its own exam that it administered, and if you moved from state to state you could expect your child to take a completely new test once settled in your new home. These days, with […]

Parents preparing their kids for the FxAT ™ test, or the Fairfax Abilities Test™, are often unsure of where to turn. The test is highly competitive, and parents across Northern Virginia begin preparing their little ones weeks or even months before the big day. Fairfax County is home to some of the nation’s best schools, […]

Many parents contact us looking for GATE test practice questions. These parents are often unsure of what’s on the test given the amount of content they find when they search for the GATE test. The first important thing to remember is that “GATE Test” is typically a generic description for a Gifted and Talented entry […]

Parents looking for ELA practice questions are often frustrated with what they find. ELA, of course, stands for English Language Arts and is part of the Common Core State Standards that rolled out across the nation this year. As with many other things related to the Common Core, the phrase “ELA” can seem foreign to […]

Lots of parents in Canada are taken by surprise when they learn that their little one will be taking the CTBS ™ Test, also known as the Canadian Test of Basic Skills.™ This test, which is administered to kids between kindergarten and 12th grade, is used to qualify students for gifted and other advanced programs. […]

The CogAT ® Test Form 7, or Cognitive Abilities Test ® Form 7, is the most up-to-date version of the Cognitive Abilities Test, having replaced the Form 6 a few years ago. Now that the Form 7 test has been around for several years, fewer and fewer schools are using the Form 6 and the […]

Common Core math practice questions have received a lot of attention over the past few years as parents across the country have posted what look like impossibly complicated math problems that are supposedly a result of the newly-implemented Common Core State Standards. These math questions often involve complicated ways of getting to what seems, at […]

The Fairfax Abilities Test ™, also called the FxAT ™ test or the Fairfax County Advanced Academic Programs, is the test for children who are looking to get into the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Even though Fairfax County boasts some of the best public schools in […]

Many parents find themselves looking for practice questions for common core ELA and math tests, especially when their kids find themselves looking at taking the Common Core test within a matter of months or even weeks. Back in the early and mid-2000s, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) meant that each state had its own curriculum […]

Many parents in NYC are wondering about the difference between the AABL ® test and the ERB test. That’s because the AABL test (Admissions Assessment for Beginning Learners®) recently replaced the ERB test as the admissions test for elite kindergartens in the city. The AABL test is an achievement test, meaning that it measures kids’ […]

If you live in Virginia, you’ve no doubt heard of the Virginia SOL test. This is the state achievement test given to kids in Virginia, and covers English, math, science, and social studies. SOL tests for English and math are given at the end of every grade from 3rd through 8th grade; SOL exams for […]

Many parents are beginning to hear about the WISC®-5 or WISC-V test, as it’s replacing its predecessor the WISC®-IV test in many schools. The tests have many similarities but there are a few important things to remember about the newest version of the test. First off, the Word Reasoning and Picture Completion subtests have been […]

Have you ever wondered about the difference between the PARCC vs. SBAC test? If so, you’re a parent of a child who will be taking the Common Core test sometime soon! The Common Core State Standards were originally intended to produce a uniform test that would be given across all 50 states. The idea was […]

The ELA test, or the English/Language Arts portion of the Common Core State Standards test, is just one of the parts of the Common Core that kids across the country need to do well on state tests. These tests can, in many states, determine whether your child will be able to advance to the next […]

The Texas STAAR ® test is familiar to any parent raising a child in the Lone Star State. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness is a standardized test given to kids in Texas between grades 3 and 8, and covers reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. The STAAR is often confused with […]

Parents across New York are frantically preparing for the NY ELA test – another name for the English Language Arts portion of the Common Core State Standards test in New York. This test is part of the Common Core State Standards that have swept across the country this year, replacing state-specific tests that were originally […]

Parents across the country are beginning to hear about the WISC-V Test, the latest version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.® The WISC-V replaces its predecessor, the WISC-IV, which has been used for years as an IQ test given to kids between age 6:0 and 16:11. The newest version is similar to its predecessor […]

The Woodcock-Johnson IV ® test, or Woodcock-Johnson Fourth Edition, was recently released as the newest version of the Woodcock-Johnson test. The Fourth Edition replaces the Woodcock-Johnson III, or Third Edition, which was used for some time until replaced by this newest version. The WJ 4 is essentially an updated version of the test, calibrated to […]

If your child is facing an upcoming ELA Common Core test, you may be wondering what the test is and what subjects are involved. You’re not alone – due to the relative newness of the test itself, many parents across the country feel as though they’re scrambling to keep up and to help prepare their […]

Parents looking to find out the levels of the NNAT ®-2 test or Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® aren’t sure what they’re up against. Many think it’s a test that measures the same skills they learn in school. Others think it’s a test that will measure their kids’ reading abilities or math skills. Let’s face it: […]

The WISC-V Test, or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®, is the latest version of the WISC test, taking the place of the older WISC-IV test. The update is big news for this IQ test administered to children ranging in age from 6:0 to 16:11. The latest version of the test has dropped the Word […]

The STAAR ® test or the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness ® is one of those standardized tests given to public school students to determine how much they’ve learned in their various subjects under English, Science, Math, and Social Studies. Scores matter a lot in these tests because whatever the performance of the […]

The ELA Common Core requirements vary by state, and it can be difficult to tell what your specific state requires. First, some background: the State Standards Initiative is a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the quality of education for all students. Its goal is to achieve this by administering standardized tests on an annual basis. […]

Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom, whose own son was headed for special education until she cracked the code of early intelligence testing and boosted his score from the 37th to the 94th percentile, will empower you to take charge of your child’s intellectual development, and set him or her up to ace tests and thrive […]

In order to help you child prepare for the ELA Common Core or any standardized test battery, it’s important to understand the test itself. Here we’ll review the basics of the ELA Common Core as well as some helpful tips on test prep. Regional Testing While some standardized tests are given nationwide, others are more […]

Have you just found out that your child will be taking the ITBS ® test? If you’re like a lot of other parents the thought of your child taking a new test that you’re not familiar with can be extremely anxiety-provoking. Just thinking about the test and wondering how to prepare can produce high levels […]

The Common Core State Standards Initiative tests are relatively new standardized tests, given to students at every grade level on an annual basis. They are designed to ensure that each student receives a similar education regardless of location, with the ultimate goal of creating better-equipped high school graduates. What Makes These Tests Different? As a […]

Who isn’t stressed out with talk of the STAAR English test? Despite the fact that English is an everyday language used by Americans, many still have trouble in composing essays or compositions. This is why students often find essay writing tests difficult. They may have the ideas in mind but putting them together is a […]

The testing mandated by the Common Core State Standards Initiative is a standardized test battery. Here, we’ll review the major portions of the test as well as some points of interest about the Initiative itself. Who is Tested? The test created by the Common Core State Standards Initiative is known as the ELA (English Language […]

The CogAT ® Test, or Cognitive Abilities Test™, is a commonly-given cognitive test used to determine whether kids will qualify for their district’s gifted and talented program. There are two versions of the CogAT test: the Form 6 and the Form 7. The Form 7 is newer, issued in 2011, and is being used in […]

The CTBS ™ Test, which stands for Canadian Test of Basic Skills™, is a competitive gifted and talented test given in Canada to students aiming to get into advanced programs. The test is anxiety-producing for Canadian parents since it can determine whether a child makes it into the program of their choice. The Canadian Test […]

Preparing for the Common Core State Standards is just another test that parents have to prepare for. Proper preparation can give your child an edge which may mean the difference between inaccurately low scores and scores which reflect your child’s true abilities. What the Tests Entail For a thorough description of Arkansas’ testing battery, you […]

For parents facing the NYC G&T test, the end of the holiday season means the beginning of an even more frantic, jam-packed time of year: the countdown to the New York City gifted & talented admissions test. The test, which takes place in January, is super competitive and gets more so each year. For that […]

The State Standards Initiative has one main goal: producing better-educated high school graduates. Parents of school age children have been worried about this exam in recent years as another standardized testing battery appeared on students’ radar. How the Initiative Came to Be The State Standards Initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Council […]

It’s welcome news to any parent preparing for a Gifted & Talented test that it’s officially holiday season! The holidays allow us to spend time with family and friends and remember what’s really important in our hectic lives. For parents, the holidays also give us a break from the seemingly endless schoolwork and extracurricular activities […]

The STAAR exam, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, was introduced in 2012, replacing the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills which was the most common assessment tool used in public schools for several years in Texas. The students are not the only ones assessed by the STAAR exam but also the schools. […]

The NYC G&T test is just around the corner – but so are the holidays. What do you do when the most wonderful time of the year threatens to interrupt all the progress you and your child have made? Of course, the entire process of preparing for the test is stressful, especially if this is […]

Many parents are looking for state by state standardized tests so they know what their child will be taking. This is especially true if your child is facing an upcoming Common Core State Standards Initiative test. Since each state has the power to reject, accept or modify (by picking and choosing) the Standards, focusing on […]

Science practice questions, along with study materials for history, social studies and math, are often sticking points when it comes to test preparation. Many parents feel confused. After all, the ELA tests place a heavy focus on English language literacy – where do the other subjects fit in? In reality, the ELA tests aren’t solely […]

*This blog post about toys for learning was written by Joelle Soleymani, a popular NYC tutor who specializes in helping children in kindergarten through middle school navigate the rigorous academic requirements of both the regular school year and the many standardized tests that are a reality for students everywhere. Joelle developed this list as another […]

Ever wonder why the NYC Gifted and Talented test is so hyped up? It’s because it’s super difficult and competitive! For the last several years, kids have to score in the 99th percentile just to have a shot at making it into the most sought-after NYC programs. No wonder parents start freaking out and preparing […]

Are you preparing for the STAAR test and looking for STAAR practice questions? Well you must be aware by now just how vital it is to get a high score in this assessment test. Your final grade is at stake and so are your chances of graduating with honors or getting into a good college. […]

A relative newcomer in the world of standardized testing, the State Standards Initiative has been designed to help students become better prepared for life in the real world. The Initiative is the result of a collaboration of many organizations and educational authorities across the country, with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and […]

Lots of parents in Northern Virginia are hearing about the Fairfax County AAP, which stands for Advanced Academic Programs. This is the gifted and talented program for Fairfax County, the most populous county in the Washington, D.C. area, and in the state of Virginia. The program is competitive and parents need to start preparing their […]

If you make every learning experience, including math lessons, in your classroom fun, students will become more interested and motivated to join in class discussions and activities and at the same time to study harder. Many students find math lessons boring and difficult but that’s because teachers use the wrong strategies. Indeed, we can say […]

State standardized tests have become a permanent fixture in the landscape of education. While there is certainly controversy on both sides of the issue, it doesn’t appear that these tests are going away anytime soon. Experts consistently report that while there are some flaws in the system of standardized testing, it remains one of the […]