Leo Smolka Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Can anyone recommend prep. materials for 3-4 year old? I have seen a number of workbooks out there. Just looking for recommendations. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Not sure about a specific "Cognitive Abilities Test For Preschooler(s)," but I can promise you there would be no need for a workbook to prep for any test for a preschooler. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I'm with Chris. What is the purpose of this test...? (Meaning why is your preschooler being tested and why do you think s/he needs to be "prepped" for it with workbooks at age 3 or 4)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Smolka Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Regrettably, the private schools where I live require the testing for admission. Admission is very competitive. Top school has acceptance rate of 15%, and no. 2 school has a rate of 25%. So the test scores are important unfortunately. Prepping for these tests is common from what I've read..Just hoping someone can recommend materials. THank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 The best preparation for a young child for a test of cognitive abilities is day to day life, talking to them, encouraging them to think about why things are the way they are and supporting them to develop some persistence and willingness to try things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I'm sure this will come across as more snarky that I intended, but if you're trying to prep your three-year-old to pass a high-pressure test to get into an exclusive private preschool, a homeschooling message board might not be the best place to get advice. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 No idea. I don't do workbooks and tests and such in preschool. I like letting kids be kids in early childhood and having very carefree, playbased, experience-based, and conversational learning in those early years. It's a shame they put so much pressure on three and four year olds academically. They're little more than babies for crying out loud. They've got their whole lives ahead of them for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 No clue, but I have been told good things about Testing for Kindergarten by my SIL who was trying to get her boys into a similar school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Talk. Talk a *lot*. Talk about the things you see and the things you do. Talk about animals and the noises they make. Talk about and identify body parts. Do puzzles. Draw pictures. Talk about patterns and colors. Rearrange patterns with blocks, using color and shape. Do fine motor and gross motor activities together. Climb. Crawl on hands an knees. Try skipping. Laugh. Do finger paints. Sing. Keep talking. Really, the biggest thing you can do to influence those tests is to increase the number of words communicated in direct conversation with your preschooler. All that said, I think Mergath has a point. We might not be the ones to ask about putting a small child into a highly "competitive" preschool program. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 All that said, I think Mergath has a point. We might not be the ones to ask about putting a small child into a highly "competitive" preschool program. ;) I did just sign my almost-3 up for nursery school next year, so that he can have a bunch of loud messy play experiences and my older child can have some undivided attention. The admissions process was super-rigorous. We toured the school, the director and I made sure that we had a similar appreciation for play and lack of interest in worksheets, I filled out an application form with challenging questions like "date of birth" and "address," and I wrote a deposit check. ;) Do you think I've killed his chances for Harvard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Smolka Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 No clue, but I have been told good things about Testing for Kindergarten by my SIL who was trying to get her boys into a similar school. Thanks for the recommendation. I picked it up from the local library and really like it. It along with Give Your Child a Superior Mind and Well Trained Mind provide a great framework. Thanks to others who commented. While I can see your points about this not being the right forum for asking such a question, I had faith that someone would come through. I am new to this site and have found it to be very helpful. While I will be sending my child to a traditional school (presumably unlike most of the posters), I do incorporate home schooling concepts into our life. As such, I think this board and the posters are an incredibly valuable resource.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Thanks for the recommendation. I picked it up from the local library and really like it. It along with Give Your Child a Superior Mind and Well Trained Mind provide a great framework. Thanks to others who commented. While I can see your points about this not being the right forum for asking such a question, I had faith that someone would come through. I am new to this site and have found it to be very helpful. While I will be sending my child to a traditional school (presumably unlike most of the posters), I do incorporate home schooling concepts into our life. As such, I think this board and the posters are an incredibly valuable resource.:tongue_smilie: If you're planning to continue with things at home too, and like WTM, there is also an after-schooling section of the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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