Should I prep my pre-K child for tests??

[mombot3000]

I'm from a large city and K admissions are out of control. My DC just turned 4 this summer and we are starting with applications for next year already. She has to take a intelligence test to give to the admissions boards and a lot of other mothers have been talking about prepping their children. Is this normal? It seems like something out of a sci-fi novel (think children of the corn) but if everyone else is preparing I don't want my daughter to be behind. Can someone give me some sane advice on this topic?

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by mombot3000

Can someone give me some sane advice on this topic?

Engage in age appropriate and developmentally appropriate activities.

Read, play with playdough, play outside.

Yes, prepping for this kind of thing appears to be the "new normal" in a lot of areas. Just because it's normal doesn't make it right or appropriate.

[KCMichigan]

Ug. No.

I would do your normal things...reading together, talking, playing....etc.


Workbook/sit and study type 'prepping' can start a long road of dislike of academics.

Kids learn best through play (and retain it more) and also build creativity and a love for learning---things that matter in 5 - 10 years.

You can not really prep for an IQ test. An academic test you can prep for, BUT jsut like adults, kids that 'cram' for a test retain if only briefly...not for any functional use anyway.

Dont worry what everyone else is doing, do what feels right for you and your family.

[blizzard_babe]

*sigh* I wish I could offer an unequivocal NO NO NO NO NO. Because... NO NO NO NO NO!

But these things have becomes such a hideously vicious cycle that even in which parents with the gentlest intentions find themselves caught up. While IQ tests can't be beaten, at that young age, exposure to testing methods and activities CAN make a difference. And often, admissions are out of control like the OP speaks of in cities where there's a really wide gap between the highest-performing, competitive-entry schools and other schools. Parents who don't want to test-prep their kids end up test-prepping their kids because everyone else is test-prepping their kids so the curve is skewed in favor of the test-preppers.

So as a parent, as an educator, as a person who values the joy of childhood, I say NO! NO you shouldn't have to prep for kindergarten admission tests! Heck, kindergarten admission tests themselves are ridiculous. But I know that these ideals are pretty much a moot point when you're facing a tough decision.

Keep in mind that while the test-preppers of a similar ability level to your DD may score slightly higher on their admissions test, they are in reality NO MORE OR LESS ready for kindergarten than she is. They've just been coached in how a specific test or activity looks, so they're more comfortable, so they score a little higher. That such things have any bearing on who gets to go to school where at such a young age REALLY gets my goat (again, as an educator, parent, and general value-er of a joyful childhood).

I probably wouldn't test-prep, but I can't say for sure since I don't live in an area where such things exist and am therefore not faced with such decisions. It's a hard decision to make, I'm sure, and I feel for you, OP.

[LynnS6]

NO!

Instead, spend your time reading "Einstein never used flashcards" and engaging with your daughter. Bake with her (she'll learn measurements). Play board games (she'll learn counting). Go for walks (she'll learn to observe nature). Play pretend (she'll learn to express herself verbally). Read stories (she'll learn vocabulary and the structure of stories). Have her see you read (she'll learn the value of reading). Do laundry (she'll learn sorting).

Really, almost anything you do with your child will have 'educational' benefits. Our kids are 6 and 9. I spent my time with them yesterday: Playing with the Playmobil doll house and playing baseball. Ds has learned so much about math by becoming a baseball fan: Percentages, averages, probability (and why Jim Thome is a designated hitter). They're real to him because he has a context to put them in. Would you rather do flashcards or play baseball?

[cchrissyy]

I really like blizzard babe's post.

We did the private K admissions thing in the San Fransisco area, and none of the tests were as you described, FWIW. it was all very developmental, play based stuff, not inteligence or academics. gentle and aporpriate. but I've heard of that in manhatten - are you there? : )

[lach]

Are you in NYC? If you want to participate in the game, you have to play the game. It sucks, and is totally age inappropriate, but it's the system. If you want a top tier private school or a G&T program, you do have to do what they ask. I'd check out the school boards on Urban Baby for more specific advice. They'll also be able to suggest other, less competitive, preschools that you might want to look into.

[kittykat2481]

Once upon a time I taught a play-based, multi-age (3-5) preschool class. We did a few things like sing about the days of the week and story time. I encouraged the children to "write" their name on their art, or "write a story", without ever drilling them on how to write. I expected them to invite their own letters, spelling, etc.

One year I had a little girl whose mom wanted to get her in some private Kindergarten I hadn't heard of, and she had to take an admissions test. This mother came back to me fuming because her daughter didn't have a clue how to do formal addition and subtraction like what was on the test! Hello! Had she not paid attention to my class for the last 3 years that her daughter was in it?

Regarding your question, what would test prep entail exactly? Drills? Flash cards? I'm inclined to say that if you planned to send her to a school with these type of requirements, you should have spent the last year or two working with her gently on things that she might be tested on. I'm thinking like a Montessori environment, moreso than a "flashcard" situation. I wouldn't want to "cram" with a 4 year old though. Depending on where she stands "academically" right now, I would probably just focus on preparing her for what the testing process will be like so she doesn't get shy/scared and clam up.

[pregnant@40]

Originally Posted by mombot3000

I'm from a large city and K admissions are out of control. My DC just turned 4 this summer and we are starting with applications for next year already. She has to take a intelligence test to give to the admissions boards and a lot of other mothers have been talking about prepping their children. Is this normal? It seems like something out of a sci-fi novel (think children of the corn) but if everyone else is preparing I don't want my daughter to be behind. Can someone give me some sane advice on this topic?

I heard a report on NPR about this issue, and apparently it is all the rage among parents in New York & other cities w/ competitive enrollment. Personally, I think it is shallow & does a disservice to the child. I've known people to prep their kids for IQ tests in order to obtain the "gifted" label & get them into the best schools. My question -- if a school implicitly requires that parents jump through extreme hoops in order to gain acceptance, is that really the kind of environment that will bring happiness and love of learning for your child? And are these really the type of parents w/ which you wish to mix via the PTA for the next 6-13 years? Don't you think your child will feel this pressure?

And just as an aside, you can practice for an IQ test administered to young children. Ways to increase the scores include purchasing test material (all over the net) & allowing your child to become familiar w/ the types of questions asked. They are simple questions (ex. recognizing patterns), and a child can be trained like a monkey to respond to them in an accurate way. The material is supposed to be novel for the children, and used to test how they problem-solve in a new situation, so obviously those kids who have been drilled on IQ test type questions have a real advantage. There are even testing services that prepare your child. It's big business in NYC, I've heard!

Opt out & let your kid be a kid. Having a real childhood & nurturing school in early education will NOT prevent your child from getting into Harvard, and may even help. I'm sure there is a community of parents somewhere in your area who are philosophically against this practice -- you just need to find them & join their school.

You don't have to buy into it. Do what is best for your child, stick by your gut feelings. What you describe is indeed "sci-fi" insane.

[pregnant@40]

deleted

[Altair]

If you're in NYC, then yes, as nasty as it is, you may need to do some. Unless your local zoned school is good. And a PP suggested that this should tell you something about what those schools are like-- this actually ironically is not the case... play based early childhood programs and inquiry based elementary programs still use this same awful system.

[lach]

Originally Posted by pregnant@40

I heard a report on NPR about this issue, and apparently it is all the rage among parents in New York & other cities w/ competitive enrollment. Personally, I think it is shallow & does a disservice to the child. I've known people to prep their kids for IQ tests in order to obtain the "gifted" label & get them into the best schools. My question -- if a school implicitly requires that parents jump through extreme hoops in order to gain acceptance, is that really the kind of environment that will bring happiness and love of learning for your child? And are these really the type of parents w/ which you wish to mix via the PTA for the next 6-13 years? Don't you think your child will feel this pressure?

And just as an aside, you can practice for an IQ test administered to young children. Ways to increase the scores include purchasing test material (all over the net) & allowing your child to become familiar w/ the types of questions asked. They are simple questions (ex. recognizing patterns), and a child can be trained like a monkey to respond to them in an accurate way. The material is supposed to be novel for the children, and used to test how they problem-solve in a new situation, so obviously those kids who have been drilled on IQ test type questions have a real advantage. There are even testing services that prepare your child. It's big business in NYC, I've heard!

Opt out & let your kid be a kid. Having a real childhood & nurturing school in early education will NOT prevent your child from getting into Harvard, and may even help. I'm sure there is a community of parents somewhere in your area who are philosophically against this practice -- you just need to find them & join their school.

You don't have to buy into it. Do what is best for your child, stick by your gut feelings. What you describe is indeed "sci-fi" insane.

While all that is true in theory, in practice in NYC it is very different. Yes, in many cases it is MUCH preferable that a child go into one of the G&T programs than go to a local zoned school. And just because parents play the game to get their child into a special school doesn't mean that they're crazed, high-pressure parents. They just want their kids in a good school. That's at the elementary level.

At the preschool level, it is also just the system that there are these ridiculous tests that applicants have to jump through. It's not related at all to how nurturing or how academic the school is. Even the Blue Man Group school now makes you do the test, though they didn't for the first few years. I think that most parents who go through this process are philosophically opposed, and see how ridiculous it is, but the alternate choices are pretty much not send your child to school or move to the suburbs. Both are valid options for some families, and not for other families.

There is no denying that it's all very sci-fi, though.

[eepster]

I read recently (wish I could remember where so I could link you) that in NYC this year, they will actually be sending out prepping materials to all the student applying for the gifted school test for free, in order to try to even out the playing field between student whose parent can afford the expensive prepping classes and those who can't. So, from now on some prepping is just going to be expected.