Prepping/Scamming the Cogat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a top age group swimmer today and loves it; however 4 and 1/2 years ago he cried incessantly when he went for swim lessons to the point we had to stop. As parents, we felt he needed these life skills in the water and we went back again to the lessons with several instructors (some told us it was hopeless) and the screaming. Finally, he overcame his fears, developed growing confidence and stroke mechanics in the water, and now swims 1 to 2 hours per day 4 to 5 times per week and loves it. I suspect the results of his effort feeds his confidence and love for the sport. In retrospect, I glad we as parents followed our instincts and guts with this and not the kids wishes early on.

Oh the "real and true" benefits of "swim prep"

It's true humans enjoy what they are good at. In any endeavor the early phases are hard, be it schooling, swimming, hockey, whatever. Kids don't yet have the notion of what's important and will be happy watching TV. As parents, we feel it's important to push them to be good at the things that matter in life.

While I don't care what sport my kids play. They must play and practice some sport.
While I don't care what subject they want to learn. They must learn and study.

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

I agree, but if I was the swimming parent and my kid actually cried at having to go swimming I probably would have given up and moved on to something else. I agree about having some sport and some academic interest, but for me youth is a time for giving them exposure to different things to see which one they like (and are good at). I do think the swim parent knew best however, as it turned out well in the end.

[Anonymous]

looks like you missed "humility in your acquisition of knowledge. i pity your kids and the teachers who have to deal with you

.



My children, students and fellow teaching colleagues do not need your pity. We all do fine without your incessant, fawning, infantile, advice, and guidance on matters related to teaching, learning and education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People know the difference between general practice and preparation and "test prep."

If people didn't know the difference, there would not have been so much bristling at the idea of asking the school AART to take a look at their CogAt prep materials. They wouldn't feel the need to hide what they are doing from the school.

If people truly felt it was fine, they'd tell their child's second grade teacher all about it. But they don't, because they know it would affect the teacher's view of the reliability of the child's score.

There's a very good reason that "test prep" is referred to as scamming or gaming the test.

Do you tell your kid's teacher about every single thing your kid does outside of school?

My children's teachers actually know a lot about their out of school activities.

If I were engaged in test prepping/scamming, I probably would not tell the teachers because then they would know that my child's test results are not a good reflection of my child's abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People know the difference between general practice and preparation and "test prep."

If people didn't know the difference, there would not have been so much bristling at the idea of asking the school AART to take a look at their CogAt prep materials. They wouldn't feel the need to hide what they are doing from the school.

If people truly felt it was fine, they'd tell their child's second grade teacher all about it. But they don't, because they know it would affect the teacher's view of the reliability of the child's score.

There's a very good reason that "test prep" is referred to as scamming or gaming the test.

Do you tell your kid's teacher about every single thing your kid does outside of school?

My children's teachers actually know a lot about their out of school activities.

If I were engaged in test prepping/scamming, I probably would not tell the teachers because then they would know that my child's test results are not a good reflection of my child's abilities.

you don't think getting up to speed quicky on a subject that is new to you is an important ability? Most of the bosses I've had have that ability and they will tell you it is probably the most important one they possess.

[Anonymous]

My children's teachers actually know a lot about their out of school activities.

If I were engaged in test prepping/scamming, I probably would not tell the teachers because then they would know that my child's test results are not a good reflection of my child's abilities.

What does this gooblygook expression mean? I can't seem to find a consistent and credible definition or explanation. I am new to NOVA and did not hear of this expression where I came from. Is this an idiomatic expression unique to this region of the country?

[Anonymous]

you don't think getting up to speed quicky on a subject that is new to you is an important ability? Most of the bosses I've had have that ability and they will tell you it is probably the most important one they possess.

I think to the child or infantile poster this is not. It's all about DNA. Epigenetics is completely irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a top age group swimmer today and loves it; however 4 and 1/2 years ago he cried incessantly when he went for swim lessons to the point we had to stop. As parents, we felt he needed these life skills in the water and we went back again to the lessons with several instructors (some told us it was hopeless) and the screaming. Finally, he overcame his fears, developed growing confidence and stroke mechanics in the water, and now swims 1 to 2 hours per day 4 to 5 times per week and loves it. I suspect the results of his effort feeds his confidence and love for the sport. In retrospect, I glad we as parents followed our instincts and guts with this and not the kids wishes early on.

Oh the "real and true" benefits of "swim prep"

It's true humans enjoy what they are good at. In any endeavor the early phases are hard, be it schooling, swimming, hockey, whatever. Kids don't yet have the notion of what's important and will be happy watching TV. As parents, we feel it's important to push them to be good at the things that matter in life.

While I don't care what sport my kids play. They must play and practice some sport.
While I don't care what subject they want to learn. They must learn and study.

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

+1. You just described my household. My kids are older, both in AAP, doing extremely well (I'll avoid the 'T' word) and are very happy.

[Anonymous]

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

Heck, I don't think anyone really knows what "test prepping/scamming" really means anymore except the ninycompoop who keeps bringing this up in her petite mind and keeps changing the definition - if ever so slightly - with each whining exhortation.

I always thought watchining TV all the time was what you did when you got to the nursing home--not as a child. For that reason we have only one TV in the house under lock and key in the basement for special events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd be interested which school your child attends. I've been able to learn of wealth of things from all of my kids' grade school teachers -- even the young ones without kids. Sounds like your attitude isn't helping and as other reader noted perhaps you should look into home schooling. No school is perfect, but given the constraints on public schools and their teachers, they do a damn fine job here.

I would never attempt to kill your messenger or source of valuable information; but in my lifetime, my children's grade school teachers were not the source of my wealth of information. Please don't hold this against me. We all get our information and intellectual sustenance from a variety of agents and methods...depending on our deficits and needs.

looks like you missed "humility in your acquisition of knowledge. i pity your kids and the teachers who have to deal with you.

My children, students and fellow teaching colleagues do not need your pity. We all do fine without your incessant, fawning, infantile, advice, and guidance on matters related to teaching, learning and education.

What subject do you teach? What level of educational institution?

[Anonymous]

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

Agree with you about prepping and also about TV. But we do occasionally unchain our kids from their study desks 1 or 2 times every few months so that they can watch Big Bang Theory on TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

Agree with you about prepping and also about TV. But we do occasionally unchain our kids from their study desks 1 or 2 times every few months so that they can watch Big Bang Theory on TV.

What time are you doing sports and studying? My one first grader has sports 2x a week, and the other nights (after playing outside) DC does homework, challenge homework, - but that is not one hour (10 minutes). Also- we have dinner around 530-6 and try to get the kids in bed around 730 since they will read (we read/talk etc.), write SO long until like 8-9.. With ES ending at 320- I don't see that much time to do everything described.

[Anonymous]

People know the difference between general practice and preparation and "test prep."

If people didn't know the difference, there would not have been so much bristling at the idea of asking the school AART to take a look at their CogAt prep materials. They wouldn't feel the need to hide what they are doing from the school.

If people truly felt it was fine, they'd tell their child's second grade teacher all about it. But they don't, because they know it would affect the teacher's view of the reliability of the child's score.

There's a very good reason that "test prep" is referred to as scamming or gaming the test.

Umm. Fine, I'll take a crack at this. You are delusional.

1. No one outside of DCUM refers to AAP test prep as scamming the test. Actually no one outside of DCUM cares at all.

2. At my child's base school, the principle told us that AAP test prep-materials were available online (I not making this up, seriously she did).

3. Teacher's write the GBRS. They do not care about or review the child's AAP scores. That is done by the selection committee that almost certainly does not even know the child.

4. AART teachers are not priests. They do not care or want to hear parents confessing about and showing their sinful AAP test prep materials. However, they may have useful advice on putting together a parental referral or appealing, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Call it prepping if you want, but my K & 1st graders do 2 hours a day of sports and 2 hours a day of studying. They may not know who the Kardashians are but TV is unimportant in life. I think it will work out for them in life. If you think it's unfair to your kid because they don't that's OK. I'll get over it. OK, I'm over it....

Agree with you about prepping and also about TV. But we do occasionally unchain our kids from their study desks 1 or 2 times every few months so that they can watch Big Bang Theory on TV.

What time are you doing sports and studying? My one first grader has sports 2x a week, and the other nights (after playing outside) DC does homework, challenge homework, - but that is not one hour (10 minutes). Also- we have dinner around 530-6 and try to get the kids in bed around 730 since they will read (we read/talk etc.), write SO long until like 8-9.. With ES ending at 320- I don't see that much time to do everything described.

What ever happened to unstructured play time? 2 hrs per day sports + 2 hrs per day studying+6 hrs per day school + meals + getting ready /down + sleep + 1/2 hr for the big bang theory leaves no time for play, which is where imagination comes in.

Why just last week, I was watching my 1st grader play with her friends and our cat. They were playing a fantasy game. Quite imaginative. The in the game they were prepping the Cat for aap...for the GoCAT!

[Anonymous]

Hmm, I have heard people in real life speak disparagingly of "test prep" and talk about how people try to game the first and second grade tests, particularly the CogAT. There are people who do care.

[Anonymous]

CogAT "prep" (or scamming, if you will) is one of the reasons that AAP is probably going to be going away in the not all that distant future.
At some point, the tests can't provide the information they are meant to provide.