Gifted Testing

Wow! I am impressed with Briana's response. I actually had my son tested through Alexian Behavioral Neuroscience program and was the best decision that we made. Insurance paid for most but we had to pay some out of pocket. As a result, my son was able to skip Kindergarten. The detailed info that the testing provided was invaluable. If you want more information, please let me know. I am happy to share. I will warn you, though, this endeavor is a grueling process.

Hi M.:

My son attends a gifted school in Chicago--McDade Classical. He was 4 years old when he took the exam one Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. at the Illinois Institute of Technology. I understand your anxiety and anticipation over the subject so here are a few tips on what your child should know before she gets tested:

(a) Identifying ABC's in order and out of order?
(b) Identifying numbers 1-20
(c) Identifying colors and shapes without pause and can say them out loud too.
(d) Identify days of the week and seasons?
(e) Can read at Pre-K level (three letter words: and, but, this, my, dog, cat, car, Mom, Dad, etc?)
(f) Can add and subtract up to number 10.
(g) Can write her name
(h) Understand her mother and father's name

More importantly, she needs to know how to answer random questions such as this:

1. What do you go to the post office for? Ans. Mail letters and buy stamps
2. Where do you buy milk? Ans. Jewels or grocery store
3. Where do oranges comes from? Ans. A tree
4. What is a stove for? Ans. To cook food
5. What is the daytime? Nightime? Ans. Daytime is when the sun comes up. Ans. Nightime is when the moon and the stars come out.

Best of luck to you.

In response to the other moms--Hi everyone...

No one gave me answers about the test for I did not know how many questions or the subjects in general. I called all 3 gifted schools and asked the front office clerk what were the "main" things the kids had to know if they were going to be accepted into their school as a kindergartner and I was told the following:

--They have to be able to read
--They have to know how to add
--They have to know how to subtract
--They have to know how to answer simple questions.

For M., I gave her a more indepth response because I started my son at 4 months old and it was a long process. So again, no one gave me answers. You teach your child at a pace during their early years to prepare them for this day. It's no quick study but a process.

Moreover, when my son came out from taking the exam with the professor, I got him in the car and asked him what kind of questions did the nice lady ask you? I went over my own personal home exams and since he has a very good memory he was able to tell me the questions that he remembered. I also told him before the exam if he listened well and answered them too that he and I would go to WalMart and buy him at least 10 hot wheel cars. So he obviously listed well and passed the exam with high scores of "Exceeded Expectations". AGAIN, it's a process. NOGGIN on Comcast cable is where I got started with him at 4 months.

I had my son take the the test for the gifted program at CPS when he was in 1st grade. I'm really surprised at the details the first response gave. They keep all information on what the questions are so guarded. All they say theres nothing you can do to prepare your child for the testing because they don't want anyone to know what they ask. We did the testing in December. It was 8:00 am on a Saturday morning. Brutal. The thing that surprised me the most was that CPS has to take a higher percentage of minorities, I think the split was around 70/30. So if your child is not a minority your chances are slim getting in. They said they were trying to change that, but I don't know if they ever did. The day of the test they told the parents their kids would be exhausted after the test. My son came out and said it was a piece of cake, but when I got his score it said he was very average.

What grade do the gifted programs start in CPS? Here in District 200 (Wheaton schools), the gifted classes don't start until 3rd grade. Until then you are in the same group as everyone else.

So the first testing isn't until Feb/March the year before 3rd grade. They have 2 tests - one for math and one for reading. Both are about 3 hours long and you have to be recommended by a teacher to take the test. Then your admittance to the gifted program is based on your test score.

I have a son in the 5th grade gifted reading and he is one of 6 kids in the class. He didn't make it on the Math test, so he tried again and we're waiting to hear the results.

So anyway, I'm wondering if CPS starts gifted classes that early. Sorry if I rambled.

M.