WPPSI Test Experience

[Anonymous]

Lots of people prep their kids for the WPSSI . Some kids don't mind it, some won't be amenable to it and it doesn't have to be done in any sort of pushy way...

[Anonymous]

Is there a common form that all testers have the parents fill out?

[Anonymous]

Expect categorization questions - what's the same and what's different? What is this object used for? What goes together? Passive vocabulary is important, too. Generally there's a draw-a-person task, and anything more impressive than a head with legs gets extra points. See http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/002016.htm for milestones for 5-year-olds. This isn't exactly prep, in the sense that you're probably doing it anyway.

For us, getting rid of distracting factors was important, both for the WPPSI and the play dates. Visit the testing site and the school in advance if you have a shy child. If your child figures out what the test is for, come up with a decent answer - we went with something like "It's important to concentrate and do your best so they can figure out which school you'll like."

And, it turns out, there are lots of open slots at grades 6, 7 and 9, (and some at K, 2, 3, and 4) so if you send your kid to a public school for a few years, you can still change your mind later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I had to sit with my DC because she wouldn't separate. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it was included in the report how DC did not separate and agreed to work with examiner when mom was allowed to sit next to her. I would not recommend this as this portion of the report only hurt my child or at least confirmed that she is not good with strangers. She did poorly on all the play visits as well.

Our child didn't separate easily either, and I basically had to tell the tester to take him from me. I remained calm, said happily "have fun playing games with Miss X, mommy will get a cup of coffee and wait for you outside the door. She basically peeled him off me. He was not crying, but he was NOT happy and was saying no, no and trying to cling to me. He normally separated easily at preschool, because we had a routine and it was a familiar environment. But, that didn't apply at the testing site. I could hear thru the office door that she was trying to engage him for the first few minutes, and he was not participating. But, after a few minutes he did warm up and ended up scoring extremely well.

It does get put in the tester's report how the child separates. It was a benefit to us that the tester said he was "apprehensive" about separating but then settled down to work well after a few minutes. At playdates, he separated w/o any problems, probably because it was so similar a set up to school.

Just to share that a howling separation is not necessarily a disaster on the WPPSI.

[Anonymous]

Two points. If it slips that you prepared your child, then the tester must report it. You will certainly not get into most independents.

Second, please try to get your child to go into testing room alone. It is reported if they do not.

[Anonymous]

Everyone understands that these intelligence tests are deeply flawed, right? If you have ESOL kid, a special needs kid, someone new to the country, someone who lives in an area of the country with a different dialect, etc etc. Come on. My kid just took it cause he HAD to, but I could give a shit either way about the results. The private schools would be lucky to have him...test or no test. There are so many talents and intelligences missed, glossed over, etc. I am not saying the test is without merit, schools have to use SOMETHING, but to put as much emphasis on it as some of these posters. Unhealthy. YOU know your kid. Don't prep, cajole, beg names...it is beneath you. Have some faith in your kid.