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Testing 4 Year Olds

post #1 of 12
10/27/08 at 10:51am
Thread Starter 
At our school, the district has come in and has tested the 4 year olds in reading and letter recognition and phonemic awareness as well as number sense. Zachariah was tested. I haven't getten any results yet but am interested in how he did. What are your thoughts on testing children this early? Actually parents won't be notified of the results but I'ma teacher here and asked for the results. It's just a data gatering test but the homeroom teachers will get the results.

Keep in mind this is a full day magnet school and most children, like Zachariah, this is their second year in the full day program.
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post #2 of 12
10/27/08 at 11:03am

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

Early intervention is important. Although pushing them at a young age to be advanced shouldn't be expected if they test high. All children at some point or another will test high or low based upon their learning ability. We all have strengths and weakness and this will level out as they get older, hopefully.
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post #3 of 12
10/27/08 at 11:04am

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

Oh JMO!!! LOL
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post #4 of 12
10/27/08 at 3:28pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

I think we push little kids too hard and high school students not hard enough. Kids mature at different rates. Identifying a problem is one thing and pushing a kid too hard is another. IMO, that is getting into the zone of pushing too hard.
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post #5 of 12
10/27/08 at 3:32pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

They did a skills testing/inventory that was called a "preschool screening" when Lauren was just over 3. She did amazingly well, but they said she could qualify for federally funded preschool b/c her fine motor skills needed to develop more... Um, hello... most 3 y/o's are just developing fine motor skills, so she's good......

Overkill on Lauren's stuff and not much to offer RY.....
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post #6 of 12
10/27/08 at 4:10pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

They have testing here at 4K level adn I have not done any of my children and so far they are excelling at school.
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post #7 of 12
10/27/08 at 4:27pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

I have to agree with Lenora! I think we push to hard on some things. And in other things we don't push hard enough. I encourage my children to always do their best and I don't think I can ask for more than that.
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post #8 of 12
10/27/08 at 4:34pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

I was a little surprised to be honest. The parents aren't notified and it's not to identify special needs. Its more to evaluate the programs used and to see where the kids are coming in to the the program. They are also tested for text awareness (if they know what way writing runs and how to hold a book, etc.). I'm ok with it. Zachariah loved being tested. He thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

Lenora-in CT they test the kids plenty. Right from preK through high school. I am forever testing.
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post #9 of 12
10/27/08 at 9:12pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

So, it's more like an inventory just to see where kiddos are and what they need to work on? I think that's great, but it should be shared with parents to encourage involvement.

With Lauren's testing, it was optional and actually was a pre-K testing. We did it just to see where she was because we had enrolled her at 3 to give her some time of her own with friends b/c a majority of our time is taken with Ry's therapies. She loves it and does well. Her pre-school is a "play and learn" program so they do work with them a bit, but the focus on play as well.
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post #10 of 12
11/13/08 at 9:02am

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

Our district does tracking programs so I don't think I'd want my kid tested that early. If they were 'behind' (which can be normal at that age) then they would be labeled as 'behind' for a long time. After working in my district for 2.5 years, I won't send my kids to the schools. If we can't afford private or transfer to a district that close by, then we'll homeschool.
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post #11 of 12
11/13/08 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

Its actually more along the lines of data collection to see how the program they are implementing is working. It is typically used in kindergarten but here we offer a full day pre K 3 and 4 class with this program which is full day. The kids, for the most part, are excelling. It is a magnet school so the parents did apply to send their child here and it's not Head Start or anythigng like that. I'm curious about th scores when they come in. See, here in the city, we start standardized state testing at 3rd grade but all test scores fall off at third grade as well and any data we can gather to help us understand why will help us help the students.
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post #12 of 12
11/15/08 at 5:57pm

Re: Testing 4 Year Olds

MN has mandatory preschool screening(which I still haven't done for Nick and need to asap since he goes to school next year). I don't think you can enter public school here without it. I think it's ridiculous. What are kids 'supposed' to know then, and if they're not going to tell us then whats the point.
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