CPS Gifted / Classical School Testing

The best way to prepare your child is by feeding him/her a great breakfast on the morning of the test and being upbeat about how they get to show someone all the fun stuff they know!

Really, you can't "prepare" for this test, there are no Cliff Notes, and you may never find out what your child spoke with the tester about.

Seriously, the best way to prepare your child is to read to them every night starting at a young age, encourage the love of books and curiosity in how the world works.

My son is in Kindergarten and we had him tested last year (age 4, in the fall before the fall of Kindergarten) for both classical and gifted. I was told that generally, Classical tests "how much you know" and Gifted tests "how you think". The tests were administered at the same time and in a one-on-one format (teacher/tester and child). So your child also has to be OK with meeting with someone new. It is possible that a child could freak out or be shy and not do well because of fear of interaction with another adult.

We also had our son do the test again this year (since there are a few schools in CPS that only admit in the 1st grade (vs Kindergarten). When the child is in Kindergarten, the fall before 1st grade, they get a different type of test - written - for both the classical and gifted programs (2 tests).

Also, the test rankings are comared to other children at the exact same age, so it is not like you get a benefit from waiting (and getting the test in Feb vs. Sept).

I have been amazed that my child (currently in Kindergarten) could not really read in September of Kindergarten year but by November he was really reading. So for my younger kids, I plan to encourage the nightly reading much more - starting earlier (preschool, aged 3 and 4) and actually challenging them to read to me (which is what the Kindergarten teacher has required us to do this fall - have the child read a book a night to us). This seems to have helped my child jump from enjoying "being read to" and "reading" himself.

Hope this helps.

Hi S.,
My child has taken the test two years in a row. It's really a good experience, but also look on the cps.edu website and you will find other great neighborhood schools, just in case your child ends up wait listed. Keep trying every year and your child will be selected.

All the Best!

This is a test to see if your child is gifted. Your child is either gifted or not. You cannot make your child gifted by studying with them. I come from a long line of teachers and also was a teacher myself. I tell all parents that you love them and read to them and guide them through creative play. That is all you can do. A gifted child is born that way and there is nothing the parents did to make them gifted. I had two children who came from homes where the parents stuck them in front of the television all day. These two kids still were exceptionally gifted; it was obviously not because of the parents. Most gifted children were born gifted and the parents just help by nurturing that talent. I wish you luck and always remember that only about a small fraction of children born are truly gifted. So if your child does not qualify then it is no loss and your child still is amazing.

There are two tests. The classical test measures what your child knows, the gifted test measures how your child thinks. Classical schools include Decatur, Skinner. Gifted includes Coonley, Edison, South Loop, etc. The gifted test is harder to prepare for, but think Wechsler type activities (analogies, patterns, and so forth). I think it is helpful to give your child a couple examples of these things to get their feet wet before the test. You should be able to find some examples online or books you can order. The Critical Thinking company is helpful. The classical test is be more ability-based (includes math, reading, and language arts). Just for the record, these schools are hard to get into. My daughter was in the top 3% last year and did not get in. She's now in Kindergarten and reading at a 3rd grade level. Good luck!