Prepping/Scamming the Cogat

[Anonymous]

There are all sorts of educational activities that parents can do with their young children that don't involve sample ability test questions. The school system is asking people not to use test prep courses and materials, not to avoid any kind of educationally enriching situation.

Test prep businesses woud have you believe that only their books and courses can increase your child's intelligence. All they do is increase a child's ability to take tests, not to actually do anything with their intelligence.

Instead of spending 30minutes a day with test prep, spend 30 minutes a day reading to your young child. Fairfax County has a fantastic library system with all sorts of resources- totally free to all of us. Exposure to good books enhances vocabulary and allows a child to hear grammatically correct sentence structure while learning about almost any type of content you can imagine.
You can get way more bang for your buck with a library book and an armful of books than any test prep book you can buy!

This "Alice in Wonderland" analysis would have us believe the real cheating is done by children with a library card and an armful of books!

[Anonymous]

There are all sorts of educational activities that parents can do with their young children that don't involve sample ability test questions. The school system is asking people not to use test prep courses and materials, not to avoid any kind of educationally enriching situation.

Test prep businesses woud have you believe that only their books and courses can increase your child's intelligence. All they do is increase a child's ability to take tests, not to actually do anything with their intelligence.

Instead of spending 30minutes a day with test prep, spend 30 minutes a day reading to your young child. Fairfax County has a fantastic library system with all sorts of resources- totally free to all of us. Exposure to good books enhances vocabulary and allows a child to hear grammatically correct sentence structure while learning about almost any type of content you can imagine.
You can get way more bang for your buck with a library book and an armful of books than any test prep book you can buy!

Very regressive and 19th century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There are all sorts of educational activities that parents can do with their young children that don't involve sample ability test questions. The school system is asking people not to use test prep courses and materials, not to avoid any kind of educationally enriching situation. Test prep businesses woud have you believe that only their books and courses can increase your child's intelligence. All they do is increase a child's ability to take tests, not to actually do anything with their intelligence.

Instead of spending 30minutes a day with test prep, spend 30 minutes a day reading to your young child. Fairfax County has a fantastic library system with all sorts of resources- totally free to all of us. Exposure to good books enhances vocabulary and allows a child to hear grammatically correct sentence structure while learning about almost any type of content you can imagine.
You can get way more bang for your buck with a library book and an armful of books than any test prep book you can buy!

OK, Einstein. As long as I don't buy any commercial materials I am fine; but, I can prepare my child with the knowledge I possess and make up my own form questions--even if these will mimic the test form?
You are going down a very slippery slope since many students who prepare are using non commercial methods for very effective prep!! These students do not even use the County's fantastic library system with the plethora of resources. Many prefer the comfort of their homes in front of the computer screen where the limits of the imagination and the world wide web are the only barriers to simulating any testing form or format you desire.

Honestly, this just sounds like playing word games. Specific test prep only teaches a child how to take tests. Maybe some people think test taking is synonymous with education, but it is a very narrow and shallow definition. The results for a child who has prepped for the CoGAT by practicing questions over and over do not give a good picture of that child's ability to handle new information.
I stand by my contention that a child will learn much more vocabulary and correct grammar by exposure to good books than by any test prep program in whatever format you can devise. Once a child can read well, they can learn to speak and write well and then can move on to learn any subject they need to.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, this just sounds like playing word games. Specific test prep only teaches a child how to take tests. Maybe some people think test taking is synonymous with education, but it is a very narrow and shallow definition. The results for a child who has prepped for the CoGAT by practicing questions over and over do not give a good picture of that child's ability to handle new information.
I stand by my contention that a child will learn much more vocabulary and correct grammar by exposure to good books than by any test prep program in whatever format you can devise. Once a child can read well, they can learn to speak and write well and then can move on to learn any subject they need to.

Studying and preparation for many students encompasses trotting off to the library with an armful of books and specific test prep including form, types of questions and the subject material of particular tests, quizes and exams. We call this "wholesome and all encompassing test prep"! It covers all.

[Anonymous]

I like that. Preparation that leaves no stone unturned.

[Anonymous]

Alice thinks test preparation and a robust habit of voluminous reading and tinkering are mutually exclusive.
Some talented and bright children have the capacity for both.

[Anonymous]

Well, its good to know that those who prepped for the new FATs test wasted their time and FF County fixed everything by instituting the new, unpreppable test that cannot even be age normed due to lack of data. Not sure how that will change in future years as they indicate as a similar number will continue to take the test.

Also, I though the FF County web site was clear that commercially available materials were not available to prepare. Wow, what an about face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alice thinks test preparation and a robust habit of voluminous reading and tinkering are mutually exclusive.
Some talented and bright children have the capacity for both.

Of course they have the capacity for both. It is up to their parents to teach them the best way to do things in life. The school has asked parents to refrain from practicing particular types of test questions with our children. What am I teaching my child when I do it anyway?

Teaching a child how to learn and not take shortcuts will be more valuable in the long run. It might appear that the test prepped child is smart because of a test score, but the ability to handle new information and challenges will not be affected by a test score. A "talented and bright" child does not need to waste time practicing those questions in advance of the second grade test; that child will do fine on the test and would be better off doing something truly educational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alice thinks test preparation and a robust habit of voluminous reading and tinkering are mutually exclusive.
Some talented and bright children have the capacity for both.

Of course they have the capacity for both. It is up to their parents to teach them the best way to do things in life. The school has asked parents to refrain from practicing particular types of test questions with our children. What am I teaching my child when I do it anyway?

Teaching a child how to learn and not take shortcuts will be more valuable in the long run. It might appear that the test prepped child is smart because of a test score, but the ability to handle new information and challenges will not be affected by a test score. A "talented and bright" child does not need to waste time practicing those questions in advance of the second grade test; that child will do fine on the test and would be better off doing something truly educational.

How about the kid that preps, gets into AAP, and then gets to do something "truly educational" for the next 7 years? He has better teachers, more challenging assignments, and an enriching environment full of all those kids "doings something truly educational". Before you say he will not do well, or be overwhelmed in AAP having prepped to get in, save it, as it is an academic program where studying and good work practices (like the one's he learned while prepping) are all that is needed for a kid in the 85%+ percentile to do well. I know, I have two kids who barely made it in the program and both were prepped.

[Anonymous]

Practicing the form or format for a test is not taking a short cut. Short cut to where?

[Anonymous]

They use the test to differentiate. Not all children have over zealous parents obsessed with their children getting into AAP (not saying you all are, but hey we know there are some insecure crazies out there). The idea is that all children practice the same 5 questions before the test and then all see the other test questions with fresh eyes, that is a fair playing field for all the children. If some of the children have seen extremely similar questions time after time they will know the answer without having to sit there and actually reason it out. The reasoning at a higher level is what the test is supposed to be looking for. Prepping to me is doing not doing your child a dis service (if it gets them into AAP which others think gets them ahead). BUT - What you do is make it unfair for those that didn't prep which is what all are supposed to do. It's wrong. If it makes you feel better to do a couple extra questions at home FINE I get that - but not hours of prep and classes.

THis isn't a class test, it is supposed to help to select children who have advanced reasoning and thinking skills. Prepping keeps the test from accurately differentiating. If all the children were prepped the test would have no use at all differentiating children. Just let the process work. Why do you all put so much pressure on your children to validate yourselves? If they miss because they aren't great test takers, appeal. Otherwise this whole AAP thing should just be shut down. AAP should then be all based on parent refer, whoever wants in gets in. It's a shame parents are ruining this process.

[Anonymous]

ITA with pp.

[Anonymous]

Nobody is ruining the process. The testing questions are too easy so they are preparedable. Right now the norm/difficulty level for a question is probably 80% kids can get it correct. If they make it 50%, then kids will be differentiated.

[Anonymous]

If more difficult questions are included, the test preparation will not work. Most 7-8 year old kids will not have the abstract reasoning skill to solve them, even with teaching. But the trully advanced, who suppose to be 2-4 years above age level, as defined, will be able to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ITA with pp.

I do, too--I argued the same point many times in this thread--but it's obvious that a fair playing field means absolutely nothing to some of these parents.