Do you think your child might be gifted? If so, keep reading!
We all think our child is the brightest kid on the planet (and we’re all convinced that we’re right!). Especially if you’re a parent in New York City! And we tend to have thousands of anecdotes to prove our child’s academic fortitude. You’ve probably known since the day he or she was born that your child was smart. But how can you know whether your child is “gifted” in the sense that NYC gifted and talented schools and teachers use the word?
Educational psychologists perform questionnaires and interviews of children and parents in an effort to determine whether a child is gifted. During this process, psychologists look for a number of attributes or markers that tend to point to an advanced child. In addition to taking tests like the Stanford-Binet and OLSAT they ask parents fill out a survey to self-assess their child’s giftedness.
Over 80% of parents who think their child is gifted are correct!
Here are some of the attributes that gifted children tend to have. (Don’t worry, gifted children don’t necessarily possess all of these traits, although they tend to have many of them.)
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Creative talent:
If your child displays above-average aptitude for art or music, it could be a sign that he’s gifted.
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Attention to detail:
If your child is able to remember and understand the intricacies of academic concepts – or even things she encounters in her everyday life – it points to the possibility that she’s gifted.
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Good with complexity:
Gifted children often show a keen understanding of intricate concepts and are able to work through multi-step problems.
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High verbal ability:
Gifted children tend to have an advanced vocabulary and the ability to use it at a high level.
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Emotional sensitivity:
If your child is able to understand and perceive others’ emotions or feelings, it could be a sign that he’s gifted.
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Good sense of humor:
Gifted children tend to be wittier than their general education counterparts.
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Works independently:
Many gifted children don’t mind working independently of others to solve problems; many even teach themselves to read before their counterparts learn it in school!
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Reaches milestones earlier than other children:
Among other things, gifted children tend to walk, talk, and read earlier than their general education counterparts.
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Good memory:
If your child seems like an encyclopedia, constantly retaining and reciting information that she’s learned, it could suggest that she’s gifted.
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Likes collections:
Many gifted children like to collect certain things that have something in common (baseball cards, model cars, etc.).
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Has older friends:
Sometimes, gifted children prefer the company of older children or even adults, as they find them easier to talk with and relate to.
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Has good attention span:
A long attention span and determination to finish the job is a marker of a gifted child.
Does this sound like your child?
Whether the answer is yes or no, don’t worry. The best way to increase your child’s academic performance and creative processes is to engage his brain on a regular basis with doing practice questions from the OLSAT ande NNAT-2 tests. Don’t rely on school and homework to keep his brain limber and his creative juices flowing; work with him after school and on weekends to expand his mind beyond the “four R’s” of traditional school. Brain teasers, online interactive test prep, and even conversations about complex topics or phenomena (for example, pointing out all the geometric shapes that occur in everyday life) can be tremendously helpful in advancing your child’s mental acuity.
Let your child work through tough problems on their own
While it can be difficult to see our children struggle with practice questions for the OLSAT test for the NYC gifted and talented program, it’s important to let them work through it on their own. Many times, when our child doesn’t know what the answer, we just go ahead and tell him the answer. While our intentions are good – we’re trying to relieve our child’s frustration (and, often, save ourselves some time) – we are actually doing our child a great disservice. By simply giving him or her the answer, we’ve taken away an opportunity for him to use his or her problem-solving skills to figure it out on his own.
Make sure your child practices problem solving skills so he or she will do well on the OLSAT test. It’s a tough test, especially for a 4-year-old!
Luckily, it’s easy to reverse the pattern we just described.
Here’s a problem-solving model you can use whenever your child gets stuck on an OLSAT practice test:
- Instead of directing your child to do something, sit her down and ask her to come up with different solutions. This encourages her to be creative and flexible in her thinking.
- Talk over all the possibilities, and choose two the best answers hat seem fair to all parties.
- Put each idea on its own piece of paper and evaluate the pros and cons of each.
- After looking at all the possible answers for the verbal or non-verbal question, ask each child his/her opinion on which is best – and why. If your children don’t agree – it’s bound to happen! – don’t panic. Instead, ask questions to get them thinking. This will help them make a decision that everyone can be satisfied with.
Ask your child this tough OLSAT test question: Annie looked up at the sky and could not believe what she saw! There were exactly as many hot air balloons flying as she had fingers on her hand. Point to the box that shows what she saw.
It’s also helpful to tell your child about instances where you’ve had to solve a perplexing problem, and show her that it’s okay to make a mistake. For example, you might tell your child, “Oh dear, I left the popcorn in the microwave too long, and now it’s all burned. That’s OK – I’ll make another bag, and this time I’ll keep a closer eye on it!” This shows her both that everyone makes mistakes, and that using creative thinking can help you rectify those mistakes.
Using this model when your child confronts a novel problem or situation will help build his problem-solving skills for the OLSAT and NNAT-2 tests – so that by the time he’s finished with school, he’s well-versed in assessing complex problems and coming up with the best solution. This independence will fuel your child’s success, and ensure that he will never be at a total loss when confronted with a new challenge!
Filed under: tests | Tags: OLSAT test, testing mom, testing mom reviews, testingmom.com reviews
Getting into a NYC gifted and talented program
It’s hard enough to juggle the everyday responsibilities that you have as a parent. But NYC parents are being faced with an added item on their to-do list: preparing for the Gifted and Talented test that could get their child into an advanced academic program available to NYC residents.
Many parents – probably too many – put this responsibility on the back-burner, distracted and consumed by what they perceive as more pressing concerns. There are a number of reasons for this. Some parents don’t understand the value of a gifted and talented program. This is especially true for parents who may have a good gen ed program next door, who believe that their children will receive an “adequate” education: what’s the point of stressing myself out for a program that might not make much of a difference, these parents wonder. I can tell you that this is a terrible mistake: even in the best public schools, the test scores and academic performance of kids in gifted and talented programs are dramatically better than those enrolled in the general program. Not to mention the opportunities that open up to children in gifted programs that simply aren’t available to other children.
Here’s a OLSAT Level A question they ask pre-K students: Point to the picture that shows this: David and Mark got very tired after they played ball.
Other parents are afraid that their child won’t make the cut, and are hesitant to dive in without a guarantee of success. This is an understandable impulse, and one that people make in all areas of life, including their career, personal goals, and even romantic relationships. But the old adage that “you can’t win if you don’t play” applies particularly well to gifted and talented programs, where only kids who take the test are even in the running to get a seat.
Finally, there are the parents who have every intention of preparing for the OLSAT and NNAT-2 tests, but put it off until it’s too late. This happens even to the most dedicated parents, who often get caught up in their many other responsibilities and then panic as the test day nears. I have heard from countless parents in this boat – once a mother emailed me in a frenzy literally hours before the test, asking me what she could do to prepare her son. Unfortunately, at that point I told her the only thing she could do is to give him a solid breakfast and then do plenty of praying.
I know all of this sounds pretty bleak, but here’s the good news: it isn’t too late for your little one. Now’s the time to start gearing up for the NYC Gifted and Talented test in January.
Here’s the steps you need to take to ensure that your child is ready for test day – before it’s too late:
- Sign up for a Testing Mom Fast Track membership today. You’ll get access to thousands of OLSAT and NNAT-2 practice questions instantly! These practice questions will help your child get familiar not only with the material they’ll encounter on the exam, but with the process of sitting down for an extended period of time and working through challenging problems without getting frustrated.
- Come up with some light, fun ways to get your child ready – so that they don’t get burned out or anxious using traditional practice questions all the time. Fortunately, your Testing Mom membership also gives you access to interactive online games that prepare your child for the test while they think they’re just having fun!
- Don’t lose sight of your child’s academic performance. It’s important to prep for the test, but it’s equally important to make sure your child stays a step ahead in school.
- Parents have given Testing Mom rave reviews!
Filed under: tests | Tags: nnat2 test prep, notification nyc gifted and talented, OLSAT test
Many parents don’t know how to handle OLSAT test and NNAT-2 test prep
Many parents, already frazzled when their child begins school in the fall, receive a shock when they learn that their child is eligible to test for the NYC Gifted and Talented program. These G&T programs are invaluable to your child’s education and available in all 5 boroughs across the city. As parents have realized over the years, once their child was is admitted into a G&T program it determined their entire educational trajectory.
However, these initial notes usually do not contain much information on the program or the testing process. The test for NYC gifted and talented admission administered to students does not varies from district to district.
Many times, a citywide or district wide school will simply give a test date (for kids already attending the public school) and leave the rest up to the parents. Thankfully, in NYC the names of the tests (OLSAT test and NNAT-2 test)are given to parents and are able to start preparing months (and in some cases years!) in advance. It is extremely important to get a jump on test prep as soon as you receive word that your child will be tested. These programs are highly competitive and your child may miss out on the program by not testing into the top 99th percentile on the combined OLSAT and NNAT-2. That does not leave much room for error.
How do you discover which test your child will be given to apply to the G&T program?
As soon as you receive the note or email that your child can apply to the G&T program , start by looking on NYC Dept. of Ed website.
Gifted and Talented programs are becoming more and more competitive in New York City. Last year, there were over 2,000 more pre-K students who took the test (16,500) compared to 14,500 the previous year. Some parents have gone through the process with one child already and have a head start on you if this is your first time through the system. The best way to help your child is to find out immediately which test they will be taking, and start preparing them for that test immediately.
If you do not prepare your child, they will be blindsided by the format of the test, especially if your child is testing to get into gifted kindergarten. This kind of stressful testing situation is what can create test anxiety in your children. Think about if you were 4 years old and asked question after question for an hour, not having been exposed to the format before or even understanding why you were there in the first place. That is a very confusing situation and greatly increases the chances that your child will receive a low score.
Good luck with your Gifted and Talented adventure!
Filed under: tests | Tags: brooklyn gifted talented, OLSAT test, staten island gifted talented
Types of questions on the OLSAT test
So, when kids first see the different types of questions on the OLSAT test, they think they’re weird and they don’t understand them right away. As a parent, you want your child to experience their confusion in seeing these questions for the first time when they’re at home with you, and you can help them (contrary to what “they” tell you!). Not when they’re all alone at school under the pressure of taking an actual test without you there to support them. Especially, if you have a younger child ages 3 to 5 years old who has never (ever!) taken an actual test and has no idea of the different between a right and wrong answer. No matter if you live:
- Brooklyn,
- Staten Island
- Manhattan
- Bronx
- Queens
it’s imperative you prepare your child for the upcoming NYC gifted and talented test. The OLSAT test is no joke and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Even if your child it taking the OLSAT test next year there’s really no time to waste. Whether your child’s test is in three days or three months, working with practice questions and online prep games for the OLSAT can make all the difference. These are just a few examples of the types of questions that are on the gifted test. Naturally, the questions get harder as children go up in grade levels. If your pre-K to sixth grader is taking the OLSAT and you’d like to learn more about the types of questions on this test. You can try a few practice questions for the OLSAT test here!
| OLSAT Test Subset |
Grade Pre-K and K Level A |
|---|---|
| Verbal Questions | |
|
No |
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
No |
|
No |
| Verbal Reasoning Questions | |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
No |
|
No |
|
No |
|
No |
|
No |
| Nonverbal | |
|
No |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
| Figural Reasoning | |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | |
|
No |
|
No |
|
Filed under: NYC Gifted and Talented Program | Tags: nnat-2 test, NYC Gifted and Talented, OLSAT test
The NYC dept of ed changes gifted and talented information sessions for NYC parents. The sessions were previously held one time in each of the 5 boroughs. This year they will be hosting these seminars in each of the districts sprinkled throughout the city. Keep in mind, these sessions aren’t solely focused on the G&T program where they review OLSAT and NNAT-2 practice questions. These seminars also include pre-K and kindergarten (general ed.) information for parents considering these programs as well. Here are some practice questions for the OLSAT test and NNAT-2 test.
Here’s the schedule for November 2016:
| District | Date | Time | Location |
| District 1 | Thursday, December 1 | 6-8pm | P.S. 134 Henrietta Szold
293 East Broadway New York, NY 10002 |
| District 2 | Wednesday, November 9 | 6-8pm | M.S. 260 Clinton School for Writers and Artists
10 East 15th Street New York, NY 10003 |
| District 3 | Thursday, November 10 | 6-8pm | P.S. 333 Manhattan School for Children
154 W 93rd Street New York, NY 10025 |
| District 4 | Thursday, November 17 | 4:30-7:30pm | The Tito Puente Complex
240 E 109th Street New York, NY 10029 |
| District 5 | Monday, November 7 | 6-8pm | P.S. 092 Mary McLeod Bethune
222 West 134 Street New York, NY 10030 |
| District 6 | Wednesday, November 9 | 6-8pm | P.S./I.S. 210 Twentyfirst Century Academy For Community Leadership
501-503 West 152 Street New York, NY 10031 |
| District 7 | Wednesday, November 9 | 6-8pm | P.S. 065 Mother Hale Academy
677 East 141 Street Bronx, NY 10454 |
| District 8 | Monday, November 7 | 6-8pm | P.S. 119
1075 Pugsley Avenue Bronx, NY 10472 |
| District 9 | Thursday, November 10 | 6-8pm | P.S./I.S. 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School
1220 Gerard Avenue Bronx, NY 10452 |
| District 10 | Thursday, November 17 | 6-8pm | P.S. 279 Captain Manuel Rivera, Jr.
2100 Walton Avenue Bronx, NY 10453 |
| District 11 | Monday, November 14 | 6-8pm | P.S./M.S. 194
2365 Waterbury Avenue Bronx, NY 10462 |
| District 12 | Thursday, November 17 | 6-8pm | P.S. 214
1970 West Farms Road Bronx, NY 10460 |
| District 13 | Tuesday, November 15 | 6:30-8:30pm | P.S. 133 William A. Butler
610 Baltic Street Brooklyn, NY 11217 |
| District 14 | Thursday, November 17 | 6-8pm | P.S. 110 The Monitor
124 Monitor Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 |
| District 15 | Monday, November 14 | 6-8pm | P.S. 24
427 38 Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 |
| District 16 | Tuesday, November 1 | 6-8pm | P.S. 308 Clara Cardwell
616 Quincy Street Brooklyn, NY 11221 |
| District 17 | Wednesday, November 9 | 6-8pm | P.S. 770 The New American Academy
60 E.94th Street Brooklyn, NY 11212 |
| District 18 | Tuesday, November 1 | 6-8pm | P.S. 66
845 East 96 Street Brooklyn, NY 11236 |
| District 19 | Thursday, November 10 | 6-8pm | P.S. 013 Roberto Clemente
557 Pennsylvania Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207 |
| District 20 | Tuesday, November 15 | 6-8pm | Franklin D. Roosevelt High School
5800 20th Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11204 |
| District 21 | Monday, November 7 | 6-8pm | I.S. 096 Seth Low
99 Avenue P Brooklyn, NY 11204 |
| District 22 | Monday, November 14 | 6-8pm | P.S. 222 Katherine R. Snyder
3301 Quentin Road Brooklyn, NY 11234 |
| District 23 | Tuesday, November 1 | 6-8pm | P.S. 156K Waverly School of the Arts
104 Sutter Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11212 |
| District 24 | Wednesday, November 16 | 6-8pm | P.S. 110
43-18 97th Place Queens, NY 11368 |
| District 25 | Monday, November 14 | 6-8pm | I.S. 025 Adrien Block
34-65 192 Street Queens, NY 11358 |
| District 26 | Wednesday, November 16 | 6-8pm | P.S./I.S. 266
74-10 Commonwealth Boulevard Queens, NY 11426 |
| District 27 | Monday, November 14 | 6-8pm | M.S. 137 America’s School Of Heroes
109-15 98 Street Queens, NY 11417 |
| District 28 | Monday, November 7 | 6-8pm | P.S. 182 Samantha Smith
153-27 88th Avenue Queens, NY 11432 |
| District 29 | Tuesday, November 1 | 6-8pm | P.S. 035 Nathaniel Woodhull
191-02 90 Avenue Queens, NY 11423 |
| District 30 | Thursday, November 17 | 6-8pm | The Woodside Community School
39-07 57th Street Queens, NY 11377 |
| District 1 | Thursday, November 10 | 6-8pm | Space Shuttle Columbia
77 Marsh Avenue Staten Island, NY 10314 |
| District 32 | Monday, November 7 | 6-8pm | P.S. 376
194 Harman Street Brooklyn, NY 11237 |
Filed under: NYC Gifted and Talented Program | Tags: nyc gifted talented, OLSAT test
Our friends at Testing Mom (home of the free practice questions for gifted and talented) are hosting two live seminars for parents in October. One will be on the Upper East Side and the other midtown west near Penn Station. Both seminars cover the same material so you only need to attend one.
If you’re a parent to a preschooler or early elementary school-aged child and feel overwhelmed or confused by the NYC gifted and talented program eligibility testing and admissions process, you can hear from a team of NYC experts. They do ask that due to the topic children should not attend these sessions. You can register below:
Filed under: testing mom | Tags: hopeorgnyc, nnat test, NYC Gifted and Talented Program, OLSAT test
The non-profit HOPEorgNYC helps prepare kids for the gifted and talented test in New York City. Jill Goldstein, founder of @HOPEorgNYC, founded the non-profit in 2015 due to the lack of participation of students in lower-income areas of NYC who take the NYC gifted and talented test for children entering kindergarten through 3rd grade. The mission of this group is to lessen the divide within the gifted and talented program in New York City. HOPE meets with students every Saturday morning from September through January to help them prepare for the upcoming NNAT and OLSAT tests.
Over the years, it has been evident that the NYC gifted and talented program skews to more Caucasian and Asian students vs. African American and Latino students. The population of gifted and talented students based upon race is disproportionate to the racial population of the city. According to the NY Times, this racial segregation within the schools begins as early as pre-K and then really manifests itself going into kindergarten with the gifted and talented program.
HOPE plans to even out the playing field within district 10 in the Bronx where the program meets at the local library every Saturday to help local students prepare for the test. Their goal is two fold: help the kids succeed on the the G&T test and to do well in school.
Here are students who have benefited from the wonderful work HOPE is doing in the Bronx. The kids thank TestingMom.com for giving them test prep materials and for sponsoring the HOPE team.
NYC Gifted and Talented Testing Overview
Here’s a great overview from our friends at TestingMom.com (home of the 100 free practice questions for gifted and talented and private school admissions to help your child prep for these tests with tons of sample questions.)
If you are reading this, then you are a parent or a grandparent in NYC who is trying to find the best possible school for your little one. There are so many options in New York – private schools, gifted and talented programs, general education – it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if your child is just 4-years-old!
In NYC, you have 3 possibilities when it comes to a free gifted & talented education for your young child. Children take different tests to qualify for these programs:
Citywide Gifted and Talented Programs
Children will take the Verbal Portion only of the Otis Lennon School Ability Test® (OLSAT® test), which counts for 50% of the child’s composite score (Following Directions, Aural Reasoning, Arithmetic Reasoning for Levels A, B, C or K – 2nd grade), and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® (NNAT®2 test), a non-verbal test, which counts for 50% of the child’s composite score. The question to your right is a practice question for the Pattern Completion subtest for the NNAT®2 test.
Your child will be given a nationally normed percentile rank for the OLSAT test and a percentile rank for the NNAT2 test. Then, these two scores will be combined into a single percentile score that will be normed against other NYC students. A child must score at the 97th percentile or above to be eligible for these programs. In the last few years (due to space limitations), only children who score in the 99th percentile have gotten into these programs. The only exception to this is siblings of current students who are admitted with 97th percentile or above.
District Gifted and Talented Programs
Children will take the Verbal Portion only of the Otis Lennon School Ability Test® (OLSAT® test), which counts for 50% of the child’s composite score (Following Directions, Aural Reasoning, Arithmetic Reasoning for Levels A, B, C or K – 2nd grade), and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® (NNAT®2 test), a non-verbal test, which counts for 50% of the child’s composite score – a child must score at the 90th percentile or above to be eligible for these programs.
Your child will be given a nationally normed percentile rank for the OLSAT test and a percentile rank score for the NNAT2 test. Then, these two scores will be combined into a single percentile score that will be normed against other NYC students. A child must score at the 90th percentile or above to be eligible for these programs.
For the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® (NNAT®2 test), all of the questions are “puzzles” involving shapes and figures that require visual-spatial reasoning to solve.
Filed under: tests | Tags: nnat2 test, NYC Gifted and Talented, OLSAT test
Today is the day! It’s back to school for NYC schools! This includes all gifted and talented programs peppered throughout the city. And there’s good news for District 16 in Bed-Stuy that now has the only G&T program in that district. This was determined at the end of last school year although this is for students starting in 3rd grade and not kindergarten like other gifted and talented programs in the city. Both district-wide and citywide programs offer the NYC G&T program starting into kindergarten as the talented tots are tested with the OLSAT and NNAT-2 tests. You can get free practice questions from my friends at TestingMom.com.
In addition to Bed-Stuy’s new NYC program there were 3 other new G&T programs implemented in districts without these coveted programs. These were opened in S. Bronx and Ocean Hill.
NYC Gifted and Talented Program and Testing 