how to deal with nosey people???

[Anonymous]

i have several nosey people that keep asking me very personal questions about what schools we are applying to, how we did on our testing, what is our first choice, and i know the next set of questions to come will be where did we or didn't we get accepted. i'm not sure how i feel about answering all of these questions but i can't be rude as these are people i run into a lot and we kind of run in the same circles. anyone have any advice on how to answer these questions, or rather no answer if i so incline to do so?

[Anonymous]

Asking about how your child did on testing is very personal and should not be shared, even if the results are great. (I don't even let my kids' know how the other did on tests).
The rest of the questions, ...use your judgment.

[Anonymous]

It's on a lot of parents' minds right now and many people want to compare notes- it's a way of handling the stress. I'd be surprised if they actually ask where you did and didn't get in. I'd feel free to ask people where they were applying and where they had the testing done (if I were looking for a testing center) and ultimately where the kid is going to school, but would never ask about acceptances or rejections or test scores.

People have asked me about the WPPSI- noone came out and asked for the scores, but when people asked how it went I simply said that our child seemed to follow the instructions properly (we had been concerned about that beforehand) and that we were comfortable with the results. Noone pried any more than that. I guess if you don't want to talk about where you have applied a similar vague answer would work - or say that talking about it is too stressful and change the topic. Once you indicate directly or indirectly that you don't want to compare notes, they should get the hint and back off.

[Anonymous]

Call me naive...do kids really have to take a test to get into preschool? Why? What do they test for? Is this a Washington, D.C. overachieving culture phenomenon or is this how they do it everwhere?

--Naive Mom-to-Be-in-July

[Anonymous]

It's not for preschool. It's primarily for pre-K and K, although it can be administered from 2 1/2 through 7 years, 3 months.

[Anonymous]

From Wikipedia:

The WPPSI–III is composed of 14 subtests.

Block Design - While viewing a constructed model or a picture in a Stimulus Book, the child uses one- or two-colour blocks to re-create the design within a specified time limit.
Information - For Picture Items, the child responds to a question by choosing a picture from four response options. For Verbal Items, the child answers questions that address a broad range of general knowledge topics.
Matrix Reasoning - The child looks at an incomplete matrix and selects the missing portion from 4 or 5 response options.
Vocabulary - For Picture Items, the child names pictures that are displayed in a Stimulus Book. For Verbal Items, the child gives definitions for words that the examiner reads aloud.
Picture Concepts - The child is presented with two or three rows of pictures and chooses one picture from each row to form a group with a common characteristic.
Symbol Search - The child scans a search group and indicates whether a target symbol matches any of the symbols in the search group.
Word Reasoning The child is asked to identify the common concept being described in a series of increasingly specific clues.
Coding - The child copies symbols that are paired with simple geometric shapes. Using a key, the child draws each symbol in its corresponding shape.
Comprehension - The child answers questions based on his or her understanding of general principles and social situations.
Picture Completion - The child views a picture and then points to or names the important missing part.
Similarities - The child is read an incomplete sentence containing two concepts that share a common characteristic. The child is asked to complete the sentence by providing a response that reflects the shared characteristic.
Receptive Vocabulary - The child looks at a group of four pictures and points to the one the examiner names aloud.
Object Assembly - The child is presented with the pieces of a puzzle in a standard arrangement and fits the pieces together to form a meaningful whole within 90 seconds.
Picture Naming - The child names pictures that are displayed in a Stimulus Book.

Scoring
The WPPSI–III provides Verbal and Performance IQ scores as well as the Full Scale IQ. In addition, the Processing Speed Quotient (known as the Processing Speed Index on previous Wechsler scales) can be derived for children aged 4:0 - 7:3, and a General Language Composite can be determined for children in both age bands (2:6–3:11 & 4:0–7:3). Children in the 2:6-3:11 age band are administered only five of the subtests: Receptive Vocabulary, Block Design, Information, Object Assembly, and Picture Naming.

Quotient and Composite scores have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Subtest scaled scores have a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. For Quotient and Composite scores, below 70 is Extremely Low, 70-79 is Borderline, 80-89 is Low Average, 90-109 is Average, 110-119 is High Average, 120 and above is Superior. This is true for all Wechsler Scales.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechsler_Preschool_and_Primary_Scale_of_Intelligence