kindergarten testing?

[kimwim8]

My DD5 is scheduled to have kindergarten testing Aug 4th. What kind of questions will she be asked? Just curious, since I'm guessing I won't be allowed in the room with her.

Thanks!

 

[Pop Daddy]

I flunked it

 

[Mskanga]

In our school they don't test the kids, they take them into a different room with one or two of the kindergarten teachers and they play games where they basically use all kinds of skills , this way the teachers and counselors get a feel of the children and provide extra help for those who may need it. I know that in our school , language is a big problem , a lot of the kids come from families speaking other languages and need some extra help with that.

 

[jennyanydots]

let's see..my girls are going into 9th and 7th grades, so it's been awhile...


but it wasn't "testing" it was "screening", and they were evaluating motor skills, reading readiness, etc. they had the girls do the sort of thing like on Sesame Street -- identifying shapes, colors, similar objects, etc.

 

[Aurora63]

I remember going through kindergarten screening as a child...they asked me to do things like, "Put the block on the chair...under the chair...behind" etc. At one point my mom was in the room, but she was just sitting and watching. I remember they asked me when my birthday was. I sat and thought for a minute, then I looked over at her, like, mom, help! Of course she couldn't, but they still put me in kindergarten!

 

[mum4jenn]

dd took it before Kind last year and there was stuff like letter and number recognition,colors and color words and stuff like that,knowing phone number,full name,address.Nothing major.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

they also will doa hearing and eye test.
Some test are stacking blocks, puting block in order from small to big and big to small, having them repeat short sentences back, counting,alphabets. Basic stuff shouldn't take longer then 15 minutes. and no you won't be allowed in.

 

[skiwee1]

Our schools do not test. The teachers meet the kids for the first time on the first day of school. What happens if you don't get a great score? Do they hold the child back?

 

[mum4jenn]

All it is ..is for a screening so the teacher will know what they need to work on the most and wont spend the first two weeks of school trying to test. Our hearing and eye screening is done by the doctor and they have to have that paper before they do the testing.

They are not going to hold your child back....school hasnt even started yet!!!!!!

 

[Kimberle]

No testing here. They did, however, have some pretty long questioniers about your child's knowledge/abilities. We even had to have her pre-school teacher fill one out.

They are used to help "balance" the classrooms and to help the teachers plan their lessons.

I don't know about you, but our district expects kindergarteners to be able to read when they are finished. Quite different from "my day". No "reading" was done, only letter learning, numbers, etc.

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by skiwee1
Our schools do not test. The teachers meet the kids for the first time on the first day of school. What happens if you don't get a great score? Do they hold the child back?

When DD was little they tested so that the parents couldn't do the holding back!!! It was the trend (is it still?) for parents to send their kids to K as late as possible to give them an advantage over the other kids (athletically as well as academically). People were trying to send their kids when they were 6 or 7, and so the schools made you "test out" -- that is prove that your kid wasn't ready. If they were, you had to send them.

(This was in the Philly suburbs in the 80s).

 

[DisKim]

My DD was tested 3 years ago. The parents were not permitted to go in with the child, so she wouldn't get nervous. From what she told me, it was bascially number and letter recognition and so on. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Schools that test are just making sure that your child has every service that he or she needs as they start school. The testing is just meant to benefit your child.

 

[powellrj]

I did kindergarden testing a few years ago. It was very low key. They just used parents to screen the kids and if there was a problem we sent them to see the teacher and then she did an actual test. Our part was done in the hallway so parents were with the kids, the teacher was in the classroom and the parents were also with them.

 

[HollyJoy]

Is this for a private school or public? I know that the private schools around here usually test.. have no idea what they ask though. For public school, a meeting is set up with the teacher, parents and child. It's a chance for the teacher and child to meet, and for the teacher to evaluate where the child is ability wise. When my oldest DD entered Kindergarten, DH and I sat with the teacher and she explained a few things... curriculum, daily schedule, school policies, etc... The teacher talked to DD, asked her questions (to get to know her), then snuck in asking her the alphabet,, numbers, and to identify certain sounds. Had her write her name, identify colors and shapes (you'd be amazed at how many kids don't know all of these). Very simple and only 1/2 hour meeting.

 

[aprilgail2]

I was actually allowed in the room when my daughter tested because she wouldn't go in if I didn't. First she had to point out all the letters, capitol and lower case, then identify numbers 1-10, then they showed her a group of pictures and asked her to pick out the women showing the boy to the girl. One pic was a man showing a boy to a girl, one was a woman showing a boy to a boy and the other was a woman showing a girl to a girl and the last was the woman showing a boy to a girl. There was about 25-30 of those things then she was asked to identify shapes...they showed 4, a square, a triangle, a rectangle and a trapezoid. Funny thing was my daughter was the first one that got the trapezoid right that day! They also had them write their first and last names, the ABC's and count to 100. They are asked to repeat sentences the teachers say-Last they showed a group of pictures and asked her to identify-over-above-beneath-below-vechicle-mad-hysterical- filthy-tornado- etc. It took about 35-45 minutes for all the testing to be done...they dont do eye or hearing since they do that during school.
I was pretty impressed with the testing they did..I asked how my daughter did and her vocabulary is on a 7 year old level (she is 4 wont be 5 till Nov.) and recognition is a 6 year 7 month level.

edited to add that this is public school testing.

 

[orvilleair]

Agree with the other posters in the questions they ask your child.

The parents sat in the waiting room. I got a report in the mail that compared my daughter's score with the other kindergarden students. The school gave me a packet about kindergarden (times, what they teach etc...). Every kid was placed in the same level. There was no pre-kindergarden or advanced.

 

[MelCald]

Ds had K screening last year. One thing they asked him to do is skip. Well I had never taught him how to skip, so they questioned his gross motor skills.

 

[CEDmom]

Originally posted by MelCald
Ds had K screening last year. One thing they asked him to do is skip. Well I had never taught him how to skip, so they questioned his gross motor skills.

DD wasn't tested because she's going to stay in the school where she attends pre-k for kindergarten. She will be tested for 1st grade so it's nice to hear what kinds to things they're looking for.

Melcalds skipping comment made me laugh though because I couldn't skip in kindergarten either and I had to take a special gym class for the less coordinated kids .

Needless to say I've made sure DD knows how to skip, hop, gallup etc.

 

[kimwim8]

Thanks for all the posts! I was surprised when I logged in this morning (since I posted late last night!).

DD will be attending public school. I guess it's a combination of screening/testing, even though on the letter the district sent home they called it testing.

I feel pretty comfortable with her skills compared to the testing questions you all mentioned above, with the exception of the trapezoid!!!

Thanks again!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

My DDs are in private school, and they did full up standardized testing during preK4. There were 3 tiers fo requirements based on the score: if the score was above a certain level, the student is placed in kindergarten with no restrictions; below a certain level summer school/remedial study was required. Between those two levels, summer school/remedial study recommended but not required. Fortunately my DD scored well and did not need summer school.

All children in the preK4 program are tested regardless if they are staying in the school for kindergarten. Any new students starting kindergarten are also required to be tested.