Anyone have there 1st grader take CogAt test?

[eeyore3847]

has anyone had there 1st grader take the CogAt test? My daughter is taking it in January? Any one have sample tests. it is so hard to find anything to help her prepare.
Help!
lori

 

[Aristomommy]

These tests are not available to the public to preserve the integrity to the test. The point is to see the child's natural cognitive and verbal ability. The best thing you can do for your child is read to them, expose them to variety of vocabulary and encourage problem solving in general. It is not a test that you can study for. Also I would take the results with a grain of salt, as the test doesn't always translate to success (or lack of) in school. But it can give the teachers an indication which students would benefit from acceleration or enrichment programs. A student may be tired, ill or just not having a good day which can also affect the results. DD had the CogAt and also 3rd grade achievement tests. She will take the Explore test this year (4th grade) so I have seen the results of each test. Let me know if you any other questions.

 

[eeyore3847]

We are trying to test into an accellerated publicschool at the moment. She us in an advanced private school at the moment, but we are looking for the same level of teaching in a public school. Private tuition is going up from $9000 to about $12000 and that is not something we can do anymore. we are testing into a district we do not live in. It is in January , I have been nervous for her. Last year she took a different advanced test but only scored in the high 80's. We have to be in the high 90's to qualify for this new program. I want her to do well and was wondering if there were practice tests to make her more familiar with the style of testing. She is only 6 but is reading The american Girl Series books at the moment and has tested into a 4th grade reading level. Her math is ok at a 2nd grade level , so I just want her to do well and feel like we were prepared for the entire process. last time we had no idea what was going on. It was a one on one test that was hand scored.
thanks for your help

 

[K and K's Mommy]

When my son was in K, he had to take two different tests before qualifying for the gifted program. I can't remember the name of them, but yours doesn't ring a bell. If it is an ability test, you really cannot study for them. When my son was done with the first one, I remember him saying it was like doing puzzles. Really you wouldn't want to "cram" for them because you want to know your child's true ability. MY DD will be taking the tests in January. I am doing nothing because I do not want her in the program if she is not supposed to be. I am sure she will be a high achiever in school because we do a lot with education and have high expectations for our kids, but I am not sure she is gifted. In your child's case I think the best thing to do is make sure she is relaxed and not stressed about it. When my son took his tests, it was administrated by retired K teachers, so they were very good about making sure it was in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

 

[Aristomommy]

We are trying to test into an accellerated publicschool at the moment. She us in an advanced private school at the moment, but we are looking for the same level of teaching in a public school. Private tuition is going up from $9000 to about $12000 and that is not something we can do anymore. we are testing into a district we do not live in. It is in January , I have been nervous for her. Last year she took a different advanced test but only scored in the high 80's. We have to be in the high 90's to qualify for this new program. I want her to do well and was wondering if there were practice tests to make her more familiar with the style of testing. She is only 6 but is reading The american Girl Series books at the moment and has tested into a 4th grade reading level. Her math is ok at a 2nd grade level , so I just want her to do well and feel like we were prepared for the entire process. last time we had no idea what was going on. It was a one on one test that was hand scored.
thanks for your help

I would not rely on CogAt alone to advocate for acceleration. DD just turned 9 but is in 4th grade. She is also accelerated in math and Language Arts which puts her with kids 2-3 yrs. older than she is. The best tests that you can take are a true IQ type test such as Standford-Binet or have her take the Explore test. These will give the school a better idea of her abilities. Depending where you are, you may find a Talent Search (ours is Midwest Academic Talent Search) or a qualified psychologist. To learn about the different tests, I suggest
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests.htm

If you want her to get used to the testing in general, you can find several achievement test prep books on Amazon. They have practice tests for her grade level that will get her used to the testing process, testing strategies etc. It wouldn't help so much with the CogAt (well, maybe some) but more with the achievement type tests.

Also, I want to point out that there is a different btw. an academically talented child and a child with high IQ. If your DD scored in the 80s, it may not be her true ability in school or her IQ. You may want to consider making a portfolio to school with a list of books she is able to read/comprehend, math work etc. to help with decision for placement.

 

[eeyore3847]

thank you very much. that site is great!
I actually was able to find a site that offered the sample tests. so I may start there. that may at least make her feel at ease about how the questions look. That way when she gets there it is not a shock to see the type of questions and how they are put. It will be like " I remember these!" one less stress I think for the day for her.

 

[surfgirl]

I'm going to share a few things to think about.

As a parent, we always want our children to have the best opportunities, be challenged, etc. However, I know our DD7 and if we had enrolled her in the private school we were considering, she would have imploded (she tested extremely high with a WISP/WISC). She is already very self-motivated and I think the pressure would have been hard for her to figure out how to manage.

If your daughter is barely making it, or needs 'coaching' to get in, is that the best environment for her ? I'm sure you are concerned that she is challenged in the 'regular' school, but sometimes being a high achiever in an 'average' program is better for self-esteem than being the lowest in an accelerated program.

Just wanted to give you some food for thought....

ETA: Be careful with any sample tests that you give her, many of the testers know how to ask if kids have been practicing or have been coached -- it generally is frowned upon. Can you just talk about she is going to visit with someone to figure out what school to go to next year ? I would discourage any pressure....

 

[eeyore3847]

First thank you for your thoughts.
If your daughter is barely making it, or needs 'coaching' to get in, is that the best environment for her ?
she is not just barely making it. She is in the advanced first grade in her school, which already has a standard as being one of the best in the state. It is a money option in which we have to mover her. and unfortunetly she has to test into the public system since she is in the private system
also it is not coaching! Like any test don't we want our kids to study and be preparred. We don't want them to walk into a "NEW" environment and sit down for a few hours and say here do this! I want to reduce the stress of it all
She has been at the school since 3 year old preschool where they teach them to read write and simple math at 3 years old. So this will be a hard transition and I want it to be as smooth as possible.
I would rather go in debt sending her to the best education if she does not get into the advanced/gifted program at the public system 40 minutes away. I would never ever ever send her to the standardpublic school in our district. Did you know arizona has the worst academic public schools in the country? We are on the bottom of the list every year. when we contacted her local school here we were told she qualifies at 6 years old straight out of kindergarted into there 3rd grade! Either she is super smart or the kids at there school are not.
So you can see why this is important to me. I know my daughter is smart, I know she has gifted qualities, but I do not want her stressed out testing day as to something new. If she can do the practice test once or twice and getthe feel for the way the test asks questions it is one less stress she will have. Nothing like a kid getting scared at new environments or the situation to make the score bad.
They do go off of her stanford tests, her grades and an interview. but this test is apart of the process. She can do perfect everywhere and do just ok on the test and will maybe not get in! We want the best possible sinerio and I want to say to her someday "we did everything we could to prepare her for life!"
Lori

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

It should also be said that a child's IQ is not considered "stable" or "reliable" until about the age of 8. (I am in Special Education).

I have a very typically developing, healthy 6 year old and have no desires or intentions for her to be more than what she is capable of or what is expected of her.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

DD8 took the CogAt this year along with the rest of her grade. She did very well, but she thought it was hard and different from other tests. As PP's have posted, it is an aptitude test, not an achievement test. It is not a test you can easily study for. Several very bright kids in DD's school did not do well. If you have seen a sample test, you know that it is divided into verbal, nonverbal and quantitative. One section had analogies on it, which threw off many of the kids. They were not used to seeing those, so I can understand you wanting your child to know what to expect.

DD8 said the math part was "hard", which is very surprising since she aced the 3rd grade pre-EOG math section. She actually only missed one question on the CogAT math section, but she didn't finish all the questions. She said they were not allowed to have scratch paper and could not write in their test books, so it took her a long time to figure out some of the answers. I had not thought to suggest to her to skip any questions that took a long time since she usually finishes math tests with plenty of time to spare. I'm not sure I would have suggested it anyway - it is too easy to get messed up on the answer sheet if you start skipping questions.

Our school advised that we not alter any routines and make sure the kids get a good night's sleep and have a good breakfast. No other preparation was advised, and we didn't do anything special to prepare. Third grade is full of standardized tests - as far as DD knew, it was just another one of many - no big deal.

As I said, some kids that I know are very bright did not do well on the test. It is different in style and structure than they standardized tests they are used to. Our school also used basic skills tests to evaluate since some of the CogAT test scores were not what they expected them to be. If your DD does great, that's wonderful. If she does less than you expect based on her previous standardized testing, you might be able to make a case that the CogAT test results are not representative of her abilities.

Good luck!

 

[eeyore3847]

Thank you for the advice. there is a ton of things they look at for entrance.One is the cogat, another is her stanford 10 - she has to get 90% or above on all areas. She got 98% in reading, 95% in math. Her report card also is considered and that is all way above normal nothing less than 95%. Must read min 2 grade level aeads - she does. Recommendations from Principals, and main teacher and they have a self-recommendation form also. So They look at everything. They also need a 97th percentile on 2 of the 3 subtests on that cogat.
I do not think this will be a given she will get in, but I want the best overall chance for her. if she at least knows how they will ask and how the test is structured we will be ok.
lori

 

[meandtheguys2]

For Heaven's sake, why would you put a 6 year old thru this?! She will be on anti-anxiety meds by the time she is 10! Yikes! If she doesn't do well, maybe it is because it isn it the best placement for her. Or she is under too much pressure. Repeatedly testing a 6 year old isn't good for them.

 

[eeyore3847]

Sorry you feel that way, but my mom always says "If you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all."

Lori

 

[shelly3girls]

I honestly cannot blame you for wanting to prepare her to know what to expect. My DD has now taken standardized tests 4 times. The first time she had no idea what to expect and although she scored high it was not nearly as high as her teacher expected. Once she is familiar with a format she does better.

 

[eeyore3847]

I honestly cannot blame you for wanting to prepare her to know what to expect. My DD has now taken standardized tests 4 times. The first time she had no idea what to expect and although she scored high it was not nearly as high as her teacher expected. Once she is familiar with a format she does better.

I appreciate it. Thank you so much. I think that when they get used to the format she will test better. and thank you for the "positive" comments, it helps.
Lori

 

[rk5798]

As a former 1st grade teacher myself before becoming a stay-at-home-mom, if your child is as bright as you say she is(and she sure sounds like it) then I think you will be fine and you don't need to stress so much about this one test. I am sure the committee that evaluates all the records will be able to recognize this fact and I would think that her overall grades and interview would rank higher than the standardized tests. But, unfortunately I am not on that committee so I agree that you want to prepare her and do what you think is best for her.

That being said, I am sure that you have probably thought alot about this and truthfully, none of us know your child and she could truly be the smartest 1st grader around. I think a pp comments about her being under pressure were only because of all the percentages that we getting thrown around and the fact that she is only in 1st grade is unusual and we just hope that she is not feeling that pressure. If she is feeling pressure and stress, then I would say it is not the right thing to be pursuing "at this time." If she is fine with it and still a happy go lucky 6-year old, then good luck to you all and I hope that she does great. Only you know what is best for her, not us!

 

[shelly3girls]

I should also add that you need to make sure your DD does not feel any of the stress of testing. My DD has scored at the very top percentiles 3 out of the 4 times in math. One test she had a fight with a friend on the playground and ended up in tears. She then proceeded to score average on the test. Fortunately the teacher recognized the issue and told us to just ignore the score. We take a different test (MAP) which assesses progress but honestly I hate standardized tests all together. I have seen too many intelligent children not score well and develop anxiety over it especially the tests that are taken on computers like ours are.

 

[eeyore3847]

I thank you both. you guys are positive and helpful.
You know I feel the stress, I know what this means and it is a very stressful thing. But she is a happy go lucky 6 year old and she does not even know that she is taking a test in january and she will not know till a few days before. I will make sure she is unstressed and has a big nights sleep and great breakfast that morning. It will be fun for her. she thinks tests are no big deal now and it does not matter. She has tests every friday and she asks monday what she will get if she gets a 100% and lately she gets a quarter, which she is saving for her disney trip in april. She has so far $6.00 since october. she has 3 - 4 tests every friday. So we are an incentive house. My 4 year old which just started reading and doing 1 +1 etc. very simple math , keeps saying she will be smarter than her sister someday and her older sister says ' nu-uh'. So I guess we are an unusual household and one that is not normal compared to most.
but we like learning and we like making learning fun. so I understand what all the tests mean and all the learning means. but she does not so that is all that matters. one day she will thank me for all of this preperation in her life. If she does not make it, in there is always next year. But I will know that I did my best in preparing her.
Lori

 

[Aristomommy]

Wow, some people can be quite judgemental around here... It sounds like your goal is to REDUCE stress, not put her through something she is not capable of. DD has been through testing before and not once was she stressed over it. Mainly because I explained to her that 1. it wasn't a big deal either way how she did 2. there would be questions she wouldn't know answers to, but that was ok and to choose the best answer she could think of 3. this wasn't a test you can fail, only do well in 4. we would have something fun to do after that test.

Some tests can't be avoided, if you want your child's level of "giftedness" (wether IQ or school smarts) assessed. It's the only way to qualify for certain educational opportunities. I can understand that you want your DD to qualify for an educational program because of the shape of public schools. Our districts is in the top 3% in this country, but it still isn't perfect or provide extra services for gifted children the way they should. I hope your daughter does well.

 

[eeyore3847]

Wow, some people can be quite judgemental around here... It sounds like your goal is to REDUCE stress, not put her through something she is not capable of. DD has been through testing before and not once was she stressed over it. Mainly because I explained to her that 1. it wasn't a big deal either way how she did 2. there would be questions she wouldn't know answers to, but that was ok and to choose the best answer she could think of 3. this wasn't a test you can fail, only do well in 4. we would have something fun to do after that test.

Some tests can't be avoided, if you want your child's level of "giftedness" (wether IQ or school smarts) assessed. It's the only way to qualify for certain educational opportunities. I can understand that you want your DD to qualify for an educational program because of the shape of public schools. Our districts is in the top 3% in this country, but it still isn't perfect or provide extra services for gifted children the way they should. I hope your daughter does well.

thank you thank you thank you