Iowa Test Results Question.

[Guest cg4726]

Hi, I am new here. I posted this question in the general forum but after looking at this forum, I thought it might be better to ask the question here.

 

My daughter just turned 9 and is in 4th grade. Last year, the school administered an IQ test and my daughter scored very high (99%ile) for her age, and her average IQ was 143 (I think there was a range). I didn't mention that in the other forum as sometimes it is perceived as bragging. Anyways, back to the question: I just received my daughters IOWA tests back and all the scores were high with the exception of two scores.

 

For reading, her reading comprehension was 99, but her vocabulary was only 61. Her overall Reading totat was 92. (scores are NPR = National Percentile Ranking)

 

For Language arts, she scored either 98 or 99 in captilization, punctuation, and language usage, but she only scored 40 on spelling. Overall language arts score was a 96

 

Math scores: she scored 99 in every area and math total was 99 (she was also tested three levels higher in math as she is pulled out of math class for a special enrichment class in math)

 

Core total was 98

 

Social Studies 98

Science 91

 

CogAT Scores were

Verbal 92 (Stanine 8)

Quantitative 99 (Stanine 9)

Nonverbal 97 (Stanine 9)

 

So, the vocabulary and spelling scores stick out like a sore thumb. I don't expect her to be perfect at every subject, and as her CogAT scores suggests, she excels in quantitative reasoning and excels in math at school. She has never been great at spelling... she gets 100% on her spelling tests at school as she studies the words each week but she often reverts back to phonetic spelling when writing essays (even words that she should and does know how to spell). She's an avid reader so I was really surprised at the vocabulary score.

 

At first glance, one might think that she just didn't test well in these areas, but last year she had almost identical scores. (Last year she had a bloody nose during the test so I thought that might have affected those scores but then this year she had the same scores almost line by line)

 

Sorry to ramble, but I wanted to give you the entire picture. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for improving the vocabulary and spelling. I am not looking for suggestions for just improving the test scores, but for improving her spelling in general. She has about 45 minutes of homework every day, so I was hoping for some suggestions that aren't overwhelming. I still want her to have time to play and be a kid, so I was looking for some sort of excercise or quick activity that we could do on a daily basis.

Edited January 16, 2012 by cg4726

[Iucounu]

All About Spelling (AAS) is decent. We did informal spelling work early on since my son's a natural speller, but AAS is what I'd start with. There are also some free spelling lists you can use, but if you're at a loss as to how to teach spelling correctly, I'd start with AAS and see how it goes.

 

Is her vocabulary level actually relatively low, or did it just test that way? I mean, does she use high-level vocabulary in discussions with you, writing, etc.? Two things are apparent to me: she may avoid using high-level vocabulary in writing or speaking due to worries over spelling and pronunciation, but her receptive language may be high; and she may be one of those children that scores poorly on vocabulary on IQ tests because she is poor at defining words in a non-circular way, which I know for instance is necessary on the SB5.

[lisamarie]

Interesting. My DS had almost the exact same results. I thought it was a fluke, but he then went on to take the NWEA test twice when we put him in school last semester and he had similar results. I was surprised since I'd had him doing R&S Spelling and CLE-LA which also included spelling and grammar.

 

I've started using Shurley English and Spelling Power. I'm hoping they will help bring his scores up. I just tell myself that a child can't be brilliant in everything.:D

[PentecostalMom]

My (now graduated) ds had some of the same issues with spelling. We used Apples and it improved dramatically in just a short time.

[Storm Bay]

Hi, I am new here. I posted this question in the general forum but after looking at this forum, I thought it might be better to ask the question here.

 

My daughter just turned 9 and is in 4th grade. Last year, the school administered an IQ test and my daughter scored very high (99%ile) for her age, and her average IQ was 143 (I think there was a range). I didn't mention that in the other forum as sometimes it is perceived as bragging. Anyways, back to the question: I just received my daughters IOWA tests back and all the scores were high with the exception of two scores.

 

For reading, her reading comprehension was 99, but her vocabulary was only 61. Her overall Reading totat was 92. (scores are NPR = National Percentile Ranking)

 

For Language arts, she scored either 98 or 99 in captilization, punctuation, and language usage, but she only scored 40 on spelling. Overall language arts score was a 96

 

Math scores: she scored 99 in every area and math total was 99 (she was also tested three levels higher in math as she is pulled out of math class for a special enrichment class in math)

 

Core total was 98

 

Social Studies 98

Science 91

 

CoGAT Scores were

Verbal 92 (Stanine 8)

Quantitative 99 (Stanine 9)

Nonverbal 97 (Stanine 9)

 

So, the vocabulary and spelling scores stick out like a sore thumb. I don't expect her to be perfect at every subject, and as her CoGAT scores suggests, she excels quantitative reasoning and excels in math at school. She has never been great at spelling... she gets 100% on her spelling tests at school as she studies the words each week but she often reverts back to phonetic spelling when writing essays (even words that she should and does know how to spell). She's an avid reader so I was really surprised at the vocabulary score.

 

At first glance, one might think that she just didn't test well in these areas, but last year she had almost identical scores. (Last year she had a bloody nose during the test so I thought that might have affected those scores but then this year she had the same scores almost line by line)

 

Sorry to ramble, but I wanted to give you the entire picture. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for improving the vocabulary and spelling. I am not looking for suggestions for just improving the test scores, but for improving her spelling in general. She has about 45 minutes of homework every day, so I was hoping for some suggestions that aren't overwhelming. I still want her to have time to play and be a kid, so I was looking for some sort of excercise or quick activity that we could do on a daily basis.

 

My (now graduated) ds had some of the same issues with spelling. We used Apples and it improved dramatically in just a short time.

 

 

Spelling can be tricky, since there isn't a program that seems to work for everyone. I haven't tried Apples, but have and am going to use All About Spelling with ds.

 

There are many reasons why there can be problems with spelling, and many learning styles to address. Some kids, even gifted ones, are never great spellers (my middle one is like this).

 

As for vocabulary, I'd just work on that regularly. Ds is doing Shurley English, a program I used to swear we'd never, ever use, because it's a great fit for him. There are 8 vocabulary words a week, and the students have to study them all for the tests, not just the 8 .

 

Ds had vision issues for which he went to vision therapy and this made a huge impact on his reading comprehension & spelling, which are both undergoing radical transformation now that he's using both eyes at once.

[TranquilMind]

Hi, I am new here. I posted this question in the general forum but after looking at this forum, I thought it might be better to ask the question here.

 

My daughter just turned 9 and is in 4th grade. Last year, the school administered an IQ test and my daughter scored very high (99%ile) for her age, and her average IQ was 143 (I think there was a range). I didn't mention that in the other forum as sometimes it is perceived as bragging. Anyways, back to the question: I just received my daughters IOWA tests back and all the scores were high with the exception of two scores.

 

For reading, her reading comprehension was 99, but her vocabulary was only 61. Her overall Reading totat was 92. (scores are NPR = National Percentile Ranking)

 

For Language arts, she scored either 98 or 99 in captilization, punctuation, and language usage, but she only scored 40 on spelling. Overall language arts score was a 96

 

Math scores: she scored 99 in every area and math total was 99 (she was also tested three levels higher in math as she is pulled out of math class for a special enrichment class in math)

 

Core total was 98

 

Social Studies 98

Science 91

 

CoGAT Scores were

Verbal 92 (Stanine 8)

Quantitative 99 (Stanine 9)

Nonverbal 97 (Stanine 9)

 

So, the vocabulary and spelling scores stick out like a sore thumb. I don't expect her to be perfect at every subject, and as her CoGAT scores suggests, she excels quantitative reasoning and excels in math at school. She has never been great at spelling... she gets 100% on her spelling tests at school as she studies the words each week but she often reverts back to phonetic spelling when writing essays (even words that she should and does know how to spell). She's an avid reader so I was really surprised at the vocabulary score.

 

At first glance, one might think that she just didn't test well in these areas, but last year she had almost identical scores. (Last year she had a bloody nose during the test so I thought that might have affected those scores but then this year she had the same scores almost line by line)

 

Sorry to ramble, but I wanted to give you the entire picture. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for improving the vocabulary and spelling. I am not looking for suggestions for just improving the test scores, but for improving her spelling in general. She has about 45 minutes of homework every day, so I was hoping for some suggestions that aren't overwhelming. I still want her to have time to play and be a kid, so I was looking for some sort of excercise or quick activity that we could do on a daily basis.

Well, you now know what to work on! That's why I liked IOWA Basic. One of my kids scored consistently high like yours in all subjects - except math computation. HOW can you understand all concepts and not be able to compute?? Finally, it kicked in when she got a bit older. The other scored really high in all subjects - except punctuation, year after year. So we focused on punctuation and he's much better now but still that is the one thing that will trip him up in Language arts.

 

Everybody has an area. The thing that worked for us for Spelling was Sequential Spelling for this kid. The first one did Abeka and is a natural speller.

[LisaKinVA]

Vocabulary -- could be a couple of things, one is that she hasn't been exposed to lots of words (not a voracious reader...), or that she rushed through that part of the test (I have a couple that just wanted to be d.o.n.e. and would "Christmas Tree")

 

Spelling? I'm a horrible speller. I have coping mechanisms...and I have learned, but there are still words I struggle with (and I am very grateful for that squiggly red line and spell-check). I have spawned at least one poor speller (I am teaching her my coping mechanisms... but I also have to make her re-read things orally and think about what she's writing... she makes many, many more spelling errors just because she's trying to get something done fast, and she doesn't like re-doing anything). I have two that are very natural spellers (several grade-levels ahead, can spell for tests and outside of tests, but then get to the test and just. don't. pay. attention. GRRR).

 

Anyhow... IME, it's easier to fix the vocabulary issue than the spelling, but it depends upon why spelling is an issue. I would have learned better with a rules-based approach as my foundation, so that is what I have gone with for my kids. My oldest no longer does spelling... my oldest dd will probably do spelling all the way through high school.

[EKS]

Both of my kids are HG (one also has dyslexia) and at various times each one has aced the reading comprehension subtest of the ITBS and bombed the vocabulary. For them, I think it has something to do with overconfidence and not looking at all of the answers. The older one has consistently scored at the 99th percentile (as compared to age peers) on both subtests for the past three years though. I think it helped that I started having him take tests that were two years ahead of his grade by age.

 

I think the best thing you can do to improve vocabulary is to use high level vocabulary yourself in conversation with your child and also read challenging material aloud. I think this works better than relying on kids to pick up new words on their own through reading because many times they just skip words they don't know. If you really want a vocabulary program, MCT's Caesar's English is the best I've seen.

 

As for spelling, I highly recommend AAS. You can make the lessons short and sweet.

[Crimson Wife]

Spelling sections on standardized tests are rather odd because it's really more of a proofreading exercise than a traditional spelling one. Some kids who are decent spellers on traditional fill-in-the-blank spelling tests have difficulty choosing the correct spelling from among several options. But if you notice spelling struggles in her regular schoolwork, then I would recommend using a rules-based program like All About Spelling, How to Teach Spelling, or the forthcoming Logic of English curriculum.

[radiobrain]

Spelling sections on standardized tests are rather odd because it's really more of a proofreading exercise than a traditional spelling one. Some kids who are decent spellers on traditional fill-in-the-blank spelling tests have difficulty choosing the correct spelling from among several options. But if you notice spelling struggles in her regular schoolwork, then I would recommend using a rules-based program like All About Spelling, How to Teach Spelling, or the forthcoming Logic of English curriculum.

 

:iagree:

 

Also, my kids have an amazing vocabulary and don't do as well on that section as I would expect. I bet if you looked at the way those sections were written, you might understand the problem better. Sometimes, it is just that...the way it is written. Also, my kids have advanced vocabulary, but not necessarily common vocabulary, so there are a few words that they should know but don't. It's kooky.

 

Remember, that it is no big deal. Use the knowledge like a tool.

[GoVanGogh]

Also, my kids have advanced vocabulary, but not necessarily common vocabulary, so there are a few words that they should know but don't. It's kooky.

 

I have administered that test to my son two times now (1st and 4th grade) and he had similar results as your child's. I was going to say the same thing PP said -- advanced vocab vs common vocab can really mess up the test results at this level.

As an example, one of the vocab words was "maroon." My DS knew it in the sense of being marooned on a desert island. He didn't know they wanted the color definition of the word. He knew the other options were wrong, too, but couldn't make out which option was most likely to be correct. The silly drawing next to the question further complicated the options. Another question was about a "basket" but the picture was actually a wooden crate.

 

Spelling sections on standardized tests are rather odd because it's really more of a proofreading exercise than a traditional spelling one.

:iagree:

Spelling is a weird thing to test on a standardized test, IMHO. They normally give 4-5 options with one word misspelled and you have to pick out the incorrect word. My DS actually scores high on this area, because he is extremely visual and can always point out a misspelled word. That, however, does NOT translate into his being a good speller. :tongue_smilie:

 

Standardized test cover such a very limited amount of what a person should - and does - know. I really don't put a lot of stock in the test results.

[SunshineMom]

I would recommend Wordly Wise for vocabulary (if wanting a workbook) OR I would encourage more reading as well as listening to audio stories. Vocabulary builds very easily with the use of audio stories or read a louds. As far as spelling, by dd8 has similar issues. She has a high vocabulary and reads very well but spelling is average. I am not sure why this is, so I am all ears. FYI-we have done SWR but now, we are trying Spelling Workout.

[Guest cg4726]

All

Is her vocabulary level actually relatively low, or did it just test that way? I mean, does she use high-level vocabulary in discussions with you, writing, etc.? Two things are apparent to me: she may avoid using high-level vocabulary in writing or speaking due to worries over spelling and pronunciation, but her receptive language may be high; and she may be one of those children that scores poorly on vocabulary on IQ tests because she is poor at defining words in a non-circular way, which I know for instance is necessary on the SB5.

 

I would say her vocabulary is above average, but not to the point where you take notice of it when you talk to her. She doesn't go out of her way to express her thoughts using impressive vocabulary words. But, if you ask her what a word means when she is reading, she usually knows what a term means. And, it could very well be that she uses the contextual clues to figure out the meaning when she is reading, and the test questions don't provide those clues (thus the higher score on the reading comprehension).

 

I would say that her spelling could very well be below average and that is an accurate reflection of her true abilities in this area. I never had a benchmark as to what is "average" for spelling before she took the test last year and this year. She is a year younger than her classmates, and the achievement portion of the test is by grade, not age so maybe she would be considered average for her age?

[Guest cg4726]

Thank you all for your quick responses. I am going to check out the spelling programs you recommended, and I also like the idea of reading out loud together more often. We used to read out loud together more when she was younger, but now she tends to read mostly on her own.

Edited January 16, 2012 by cg4726

[choirfarm]

A couple of things, mine had a similar problem. His vocabulary was low. But his reading comprehension was 99 percent. I think part of it was that he could figure out things by context and so could kind of skip over the words and still know the meaning if that makes sense... Well this child made a 34 in reading and a 35 in English on the ACT so he did fine. ( He is 11th grade now.)

 

As far as spelling, they are right it is more of a proofreading skill. So if you want to raise scores there, then practice PROOFREADING spelling. However, that will not actually teach spelling. My middle child makes HIGH scores on the spellling sections on standardized tests and cannot spell worth a darn on his own papers... He is a horrible speller, but he knows when it looks right!!! So to be honest, I wouldn't care. If you really must, look online or in a teacher supply store for testing materials where they practice proofreading spelling. I bet a month of work would get her high scores, but the question is do you want to do that instead of studying history or science in depth? I didn't.