Abacus Mom

Help for Hyperlexia (Thoughts on Gilman's The Anti-Romantic Child)

If you have, or work with, hyperlexic or other special needs children, you will be interested in Priscilla Gilman's new memoir, The Anti-Romantic Child. The book is about Gilman's experience shepherding her young hyperlexic son, Benj, through babyhood, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school.  Gilman covers in great detail Benj's developmental delays, social skills deficits, experiences with pediatricians, therapists, mainstream and special schools, and relationships.  Some of the unnamed schools Gilman references are on Manhattan's Upper West Side which adds an extra layer of interest as readers can try to guess which schools they are.

At one point, Gilman applies to twenty NYC private and public schools.  (Thank goodness, Benj is accepted to one.)  A developmental pediatrician tells Gilman,

"You can't be average and you can't be difficult or probematic to get into a private school in New York City.  Schools in New York City don't want average kids, and they also don't want kids who cry and break down, they don't want fragile kids.  You have to have at least 84 percent composite score on the ERBs (the standardized test required for admission to private school in New York.)"

Reading the book, I felt sorry for Gilman that she did not have access to Toby Glick, an extraordinary special needs educational consultant who specializes in helping families understand their children's problems and get the right therapists and schooling.  A year or so ago, I referred a hyperlexic child to Toby.  Right away, after Toby read the child's evaluations and spoke to his teachers, she was able to help the boy get into an appropriate school.  (And that family did not have to apply to twenty schools.)  If you have a special needs child or know someone who does who needs help, you can reach Toby at 646-300-1881 or Toby(at)ParentConfidante.com.

ERB / WPPSI Kindergarten Test Prep: Best Toys for ERB Block Design

Here are some toys and workbooks that will help your preschool-aged child do better on the ERB (WPPSI, ECAA) block design subtest and NYC private school kindergarten interviews. These may be especially helpful for doll-players and other children who don't take naturally to manipulatives like blocks and Legos.  And if your children already play with blocks and Legos, they may appreciate some new building ideas.

Block Design Subtest (WPPSI-III/ERB) (Complete Pre-K & Kindergarten WPPSI-III/ERB Test Workbook

Block Buddies

Tangoes Jr.

Picture Perfect

Lego Pink Brick Box

Magna Tiles

 

Big ERB WPPSI News: WPPSI-III Becoming WPPSI-IV?

When New Yorkers talk about the ERB for entry into preK, kindergarten, and 1st grade, they are referring to an exam that consists of subtests from a longer exam, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI).  This delightful so-called IQ test developed by David Wechsler in 1967 has gone through several iterations including WPPSI-R and the currently administered WPPSI-III.  But now in very big ERB/WPPSI news: the folks at Pearson who publish the WPPSI are hard at work on a new, revised version, called, predictably: the WPPSI-IV. 

From Pearson's website:

The clinical division of Pearson is revising the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI).  The WPPSI consists of a number of subtests that  measure verbal, performance, and processing ability from a cognitive/intellectual perspective.  In this revision, existing WPPSI content is being updated, and new items, subtests, and tasks are being added, including new and revised artwork.

Memo to English-speaking clinical, school, and neuropsychologists, educational diagnosticians, psychometricians, psychometrists, and speech language pathologists--this may be the research job for you!  Here's your chance to test helpless children--just check Pearson's website.  Or even better:

If you think you or your children are qualified as an examinee for one of the projects listed below, please let us know of your interest by signing up for the Pearson Research Registry.

No thanks!

All New Yorkers reading this post are wondering:

• When will the WPPSI-IV replace the WPPSI-III?
• Since the ERB consists of a subset of WPPSI subtests, how will the ERB itself change?
• How will the ERB scoring change?
• Just how effective are my ERB test prep workbooks going to be if the test is changing?

The answer: it's too early to say.  Since research is going on now, I will be surprised if the WPPSI test changes before 2012.  Certainly the folks at ERB and private school admissions directors will enjoy parents' uncertainty in the time being, and hope that the changes tamp down on rampant prepping.  However, this is a Spy vs. Spy situation, so look for revised WPPSI test prep products coming soon.

ERB / WISC Workbook Now Available for 2nd - 4th Grade NYC Private School Admissions

Bright Kids has released the first workbook specifically targeting the WISC, the test required for 2nd-4th grade admission in NYC private school.

ERB/WISC-IV Preparation Guide

Bright Kids says:

The objective of The Bright Kids ERB/WISC-IV Preparation Guide is to provide practice material to help children succeed on this test. This is for children entering 2nd through 4th Grade in New York City, but appropriate for children 6-16 years.The Guide includes: · Detailed overview of the WISC-IV and what it measures · Description of all 15 WISC-IV subtests · Insight into how the ERB administers, scores the test · 300 pages, 375+ exercises to practice for the 10 subtests that are administered by the ERB: Vocabulary, Similarities, Comprehension, Information, Arithmetic, Block Design, Matrix Reasoning, Picture Concepts, Coding, and Picture Completion · Strategies and recommended activities . 18 bi-color blocks ·

Do NYC Private Schools Teach Reading in Kindergarten or First Grade?

Times writer Sarah Maslin Nir addresses a key issue on many prospective private school parents' minds today, when NYC private schools teach reading:  Reading at Some Private Schools Is Delayed.

At some, often more progressive private schools, teaching reading has historically been on a more relaxed timetable, sometimes not until first grade.  In the last few years, I have found that more and more parents are focused on early reading and math.  My clients are often more interested in spending tuition dollars on schools where they feel their children will learn hard skills early.  For that reason, I was very interested in one headmaster's comment:

Stephen M. Clement III, who heads the all-boys Browning School on the East Side, said that “many of the early childhood programs are getting much more academic,” and as a result, “our curriculum has probably increased in its pace as well.”

Basically, more and more schools are meeting market demand.

 

Private School Kindergarten Interviews: Books and Crayons to Help Your Preschooler Develop His Fine Motor Skills (Handwriting)

At the student interview, private schools typically ask preschoolers applying to kindergarten and prekindergarten to draw pictures and write their names.  Many parents, seeking to ensure that their children's fine motor skills make the cut, seek out books and tools that help develop handwriting and drawing skills.  Here are some that we recommend to our clients and friends:

The Write Start: A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories  Ideas from a pediatric occupational therapist.

I Can Draw Animals (Kid Kits) Simple animal drawings that even the youngest child will enjoy copying.

I Can Draw People Who doesn't like drawing ice skaters, ballerinas, and football players?

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Colored Pencils 24 pack  Triangular pencils and crayons help little hands develop a proper grip.

Melissa & Doug Triangular Crayons - 24 pack  Melissa & Doug certainly have a good business going.

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons  Like I said.

Kumon ABCs Uppercase Write & Wipe Flash Cards  Kumon takes it beyond workbooks.

 

ERB / WPPSI III Practice Tests? Bright Kids or Aristotle Circle ERB Workbook?

People often ask me where you can find ERB / WPPSI III practice tests.

Two companies sell them, Aristotle Circle and Bright Kids.  The next natural question: Which ERB workbook to get? 

Aristotle Circle's costs $200 more, but is a little longer and more brightly colored.  Families I have worked with have used both Bright Kids' and Aristotle Circle's ERB / WPPSI III prep workbooks successfully.

Aristotle Circle says they have sample ERB / WPPSI III practice tests in their workbook: 

Aristotle Circle ERB/WPPSI-III Workbook . 

For practice, if not a full lenth practice test, Bright Kids NYC writes they have an "exercise book" in their

ERB Preparation Guide.

Some parents also like approaching the test from a psychologist's perspective.  They often buy

Essentials of WPPSI-III Assessment.

This year, everyone I spoke to prepped in one way or the other, and many sought a full-length ERB practice test.  Since the ERB itself published prepping material, and many nursery schools have incorporated WPPSI prepping into the curriculum, there is widespread and understandable confusion about where the line is between legitimate prep and cheating.  Despite all the talk that private schools would punish preppers, nothing actually changed this year except that many more kids obtained high scores.

Little Kids are Too Sophisticated for Picture Books

Julie Bosman has a wonderful article in the Times today, Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children.  Apparently younger and younger children are reading chapter books.  Bosman cites Pushy Parents as one reason for the trend:

Some parents say they just want to advance their children’s skills. <One parent> said her youngest son, Laurence, started reading chapter books when he was 4.

Now Laurence is 6 ½, and while he regularly tackles 80-page chapter books, he is still a “reluctant reader.”

Sometimes, she said, he tries to go back to picture books.

“He would still read picture books now if we let him, because he doesn’t want to work to read,” she said, adding that she and her husband have kept him reading chapter books.

Another reason for the trend?  In my opinion, private school admissions officers who want to hear from parents that aspiring kindergarteners are listening to chapter books.  Now that the Times article is out, with the whole situation portrayed in an embarrassing light, picture books may become hot again.  What is your kid listening to?  At your interview this year, maybe offer up Corduroy.

ERB: The Great ERB Test / Test Prep Debate

Yesterday I received an irate email from a prominent Manhattan tester.  She disapproves of my blogging about the Stanford-Binet and other test prep books now available. 

Here's how I see it:

I am against private and public schools using so-called "intelligence" tests to determine which four-year-olds are worthy of admission. 

Some children go through their developmental growth spurt at seven, some go through it at four.  I don't think that means that earlier developing children are smarter, or that earlier developing children should have access to better schooling.  Plenty of research now indicates that projecting a child's intelligence based upon performance on an approximately one hour test taken at four years old is misleading and often wrong.

I believe that schools should change their kindergarten admissions requirements.  Until they do, parents are always going to do whatever they can to help their children have access to the best educational options.  Clearly, if test prep books help, many parents are going to want them.

Is test prep in the best interest of four-year-olds?  No.  So for the madness to stop, it's up to the schools, supposedly institutions that teach us and lead, to reform admissions.  Clearly, schools, testers, and others have a stake in the current process even though it's not in the best interest of children and families.

Bestselling Learn-to-Read Phonics Books / Readers

Eager to help your child learn to read?  These are the phonics books and readers that parents we know are using to help their young children improve their reading skills:

Bob Books Set 1

Bob Books Set 2

Explode the Code 1

Explode the Code 2

Little Bear Boxed Set

Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever!