It’s almost spring… a time when many a teachers’ attention turns to testing. I think most teachers would agree that testing is their least favorite part of teaching. However, it is a reality in our students’ lives. We want our students to be successful. Their families want them to be successful as well. Parents often ask what they can do to help their children prepare for the variety of assessments students have to take.
A few years ago, I took on the immense responsibility of GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) coordinator at the school where I was teaching at the time. The district in which my school was located annually screens for potentially GATE students in second grade using the OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test). Parents were advised that there wasn’t anything they could or should do to “prepare” their children. Teachers would guide the students through practice tests a few times before the actual test date. Students would generally find out before the end of the school year if they qualified for the GATE program.
As a tutor for a private tutoring academy that services several private schools and local public school districts, I have encountered an entirely different perspective on testing for the GATE program. Parents are encouraged to prepare their children for this testing. And, they definitely seek out assistance in preparing them! When I was first assigned a student to “prepare” for the GATE test at his school, I almost turned down the assignment. I wasn’t sure that there was really anything I could do for him. If he’s truly gifted, then he shouldn’t have any problem passing a test. However, I started to research, and came across a website called Testingmom.com. On that sight, I found some sample test questions that I could use to help prepare my new student. I was amazed at the challenging question styles! It made me wonder how many students might be slipping through the fingertips of the GATE program because students were not given enough opportunities to practice interpreting the question types and/or hone the skills on which the students are tested. I thought of all the extra enrichment opportunities those students who slipped through the cracks would be missing. As a tutor, I’ve started taking GATE test preparation very seriously.
I reached out to Testingmom.com’s affiliate program, and I’m very happy to share that I can now provide links to anyone who is interested. For full disclosure, I will receive a small stipend when you use a link I’ve provided. However, I don’t just want to give you random links to click on that won’t lead you to what you are looking for. I’m learning more and more everyday about the services Testingmom.com offers. Since I mentioned the OLSAT in this post, the first links I want to share are to the OLSAT overview and sample questions. I hope that you will find it helpful. Please comment and let me know how you effective you found the materials to be. Until then… happy teaching!
PinaRose Education 