The teachers go over the instructions and do practice questions. It's enough for the kids who are going to do well in the NNAT.

To each their own.

Perhaps I already prepped by giving my son a bit more time to get familiar with the instructions of the test.

But I don't go beyond that because it puts too much pressure on my DS. He's too young.

My beliefs are that I want my child to be self-motivated. I want him to work hard for himself, not to please his mom or dad. To me, that is non-negotiable and not a grey area. I've seen too many kids hate their parents in their teenage years and rebel or just simply burn out. I've seen kids behave perfectly throughout college and have mom issues in their 20's and 30's and not have successful relationships.

That means regardless of the score on NNAT, I tell him he did well as long as he did his best. If he doesn't get into AAP, as much as I want him to and think it's the best thing, I say "did you have a good day at school" and make sure that he enjoys his school life and learns every day. I'm active in his life and while I don't prep for the NNAT, I do make sure he does homework with care, have discussions on variety of things when I can and makes sure he learns and grows every day. While I care so very very very very much if he is on a path in life where he will have a variety of great choices in adulthood wrt profession, areas to live, etc. I will never spend a minute worrying about how if he got a 125 instead of 120, how that may change things.

That's how I mother. That's my style. It is with a great deal with conviction and purpose that I don't prep for NNAT.

But perhaps I already did just by showing him some sample questions a few nights ago and making sure he understands the instructions.

Anonymous wrote:
Teachers say that you can't prep for those tests, so you can prep away, and it according to the teachers it won't matter much.

I'm glad the teachers have fully researched the efficacy of prepping. Most likely, they say it won't matter to try to discourage people from prepping.
Every test is preppable, unless the contents of the test are completely under wraps. There is nothing special about the CogAT or NNAT that makes them any less preppable than anything else. There is a reason why cities that use the NNAT or CogAT to access GT programs end up with ridiculously many kids testing as gifted.

Anonymous wrote:this is not a gifted program, just an advanced one, so there is nothing wrong with wanting your kids in it. Most of the parents in this area are advanced, and they want the same for their kids.

Teachers say that you can't prep for those tests, so you can prep away, and it according to the teachers it won't matter much. Our AART told me that you can't get more than a couple of points through prepping.

probably companies make tons of money on test prep through risk adverse parents with smart kids.

Yes it is.

Gifted programs are required under Virginia law. This is Fairfax's.

this is not a gifted program, just an advanced one, so there is nothing wrong with wanting your kids in it. Most of the parents in this area are advanced, and they want the same for their kids.

Teachers say that you can't prep for those tests, so you can prep away, and it according to the teachers it won't matter much. Our AART told me that you can't get more than a couple of points through prepping.

probably companies make tons of money on test prep through risk adverse parents with smart kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In real life, I only know one person who prepped (or admitted to prepping) and her kid was not in pool. Despite the prepping. But she got in on parent referral and she is in 3rd grade AAP now and struggling with the math.

Key words bolded.

Maybe. But the parents at our school are pretty good at faking being laid back about the whole thing--if they aren't actually laid back about it. And we are at a Center school so the parents and kids are all very much aware of AAP.

Yes. People in the DC area are great at faking being laid back while actually being high strung, neurotic, helicopter moms. I thought that people at my school were laid back, too. From conversations with the AART, the AART felt very differently and suggested that a lot of people were determined to see their kids in AAP from the moment those kids were born I think one of the reasons so many things in FCPS are handled behind the scenes at school or even with the AAP selection process is that they know the parents here are.... very intense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In real life, I only know one person who prepped (or admitted to prepping) and her kid was not in pool. Despite the prepping. But she got in on parent referral and she is in 3rd grade AAP now and struggling with the math.

Key words bolded.

Maybe. But the parents at our school are pretty good at faking being laid back about the whole thing--if they aren't actually laid back about it. And we are at a Center school so the parents and kids are all very much aware of AAP.

Anonymous wrote:In real life, I only know one person who prepped (or admitted to prepping) and her kid was not in pool. Despite the prepping. But she got in on parent referral and she is in 3rd grade AAP now and struggling with the math.

Key words bolded.

In real life, I only know one person who prepped (or admitted to prepping) and her kid was not in pool. Despite the prepping. But she got in on parent referral and she is in 3rd grade AAP now and struggling with the math.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But really, most people don't prep for the NNAT.

I wouldn't be too sure of that. The prep learning centers, online resources, and amazon books wouldn't exist if people weren't using/buying them. The ridiculously high local percentiles certainly suggest that a lot of prepping is happening.

In NYC, maybe. In Fairfax, about 2000 3rd graders are in AAP. About 100 posters are active on this thread around testing/eligibility time (probably fewer, since probably many posts are by the same posters). Possibly a small number of 1st and 2nd graders are prepped, maybe even a couple hundred, but not many.

Why would you assume that people in NYC are so incredibly different from people here? Considering that there are multiple academies that offer prep classes or prep summer camp, I wouldn't at all be surprised if a few hundred did that type of extensive prepping. But a lot more people probably do workbooks or find sample problems online. Pretty much anywhere that has desirable GT programs that use entrance tests will have a lot of people prepping for the tests.

I only have anecdotes, but at my bus stop, plenty of moms types talked about going through cogat workbooks with their kids. These weren't just Asian tiger moms, either. Prepping is MUCH more widespread than you think.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But really, most people don't prep for the NNAT.

I wouldn't be too sure of that. The prep learning centers, online resources, and amazon books wouldn't exist if people weren't using/buying them. The ridiculously high local percentiles certainly suggest that a lot of prepping is happening.

In NYC, maybe. In Fairfax, about 2000 3rd graders are in AAP. About 100 posters are active on this thread around testing/eligibility time (probably fewer, since probably many posts are by the same posters). Possibly a small number of 1st and 2nd graders are prepped, maybe even a couple hundred, but not many.

OP, if your kid belongs in AAP (and realistically, if you and your DH both were in GT programs and went to Ivies, there is a good chance--but no certainty--that he does), he will get in without prepping. My kid did not do super well on the NNAT and I was shocked because he definitely presents as gifted. My first instinct was to run out and get a WISC for $400. But my DH said we should trust the process and sure enough, he did very well on the CogAT. Relax. Everything will work out as it should.

Anonymous wrote:But really, most people don't prep for the NNAT.

I wouldn't be too sure of that. The prep learning centers, online resources, and amazon books wouldn't exist if people weren't using/buying them. The ridiculously high local percentiles certainly suggest that a lot of prepping is happening.

But really, most people don't prep for the NNAT.

Anonymous wrote:For the zillionth time, how are people actually prepping for these tests??

http://academy4enrichment.com/cogat_nnat_prep_program_home.php

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=nnat