College of Engineering

Before you go out and buy expensive IQ test prep materials from companies such as Aristotle Circle, Bright Kids NYC, or Kindergarten Test Study System, you might want to take a look at Testing For Kindergarten, by Karen Quinn, which, at $15, seems practically free compared to some of these costly products.

In Testing For Kindergarten, Quinn talks about the intelligence testing and how it only covers the kind of intelligence you need for school success, not life success.

The author covers all the different types of tests your child may take for kindergarten, whether it is for private school admissions, gifted and talented or GATE qualification, or testing for placement in slow, average, and advanced public school ability groups.

In the book, Quinn takes you through the six most common IQ tests section-by-section (the OLSAT, WPPSI-III or ERB, Stanford Binet, Woodcock-Johnson test, Bracken Basic Concept Scale, and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children). She talks about what to expect when your child is tested and how to get him ready without stressing out everyone in the family.

The most important “aha” in the book is the breakdown of the 7-abilities every IQ test covers – language, knowledge, memory, math, cognitive, visual-spatial, and fine motor skills. Once you understand these abilities, you can instill them in your child in natural and fun ways that take no extra time on your part. Quinn gives you a recipe for how to do that.

The author talks about how to get your child into the best private schools, gifted or GATE programs, charter or magnet school. As a former admissions advisor, she shares tricks of the trade to help your child stand out, but also tells you how to evaluate for yourself which program is the best fit for your child and family.

Finally, the author covers what to do if your child doesn’t test well or has learning issues and how you can access free help from your school district for that.

All of this information is yours for just $15. IQ test prep materials can cost as much as $500. This book is a great place to start before you invest in any do-it-yourself test prep product.