Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Beginning Advocacy Question and Report (re: DS4)

Our school only did MAP for math and reading for Kindergarten and 1st graders (no language arts or science). I don't think the company offers the other stuff for the early primary grades. You may want to have him work this site for the mouse manipulation and familiarization with the types of questions: MAP for Primary Grades Warmup. This prepares the kids to take the test.

http://audio.nwea.org/WarmUp/index.html

HHmm at PT conference Teacher said DS in Kindergarten was given the MAPs test along w/ all the other Kers. She said while they don't expect Kers to know most of what is on the test, DS got it all correct or nearly all (can't recall exactly what she said) so his focus for K is organization skills. She has been differentiating his reading by requiring writing about books he reads which is fine for him since he's also advanced in writing but I can see how that strategy of differentiation (don't push ahead the reading by making them write about easy books) wouldn't work for many kids.

I wonder if it's the same test? DS didn't mention taking a computerized test. Teacher said it had stories which the kids had to try to read (not sure if it was read to them or if they were reading it themselves, seems like for most kids it would have had to be read to them) and the kids had to mark where something didn't make sense. The example she gave was that two word were transposed (Ran the dog vs The dog ran).

thanks for the MAP warmup link. I don't really know what level test they would give DS, since they have stopped doing the earliest grades in our school due to lack of funds (I think they start at 2nd grade now).

I was just guessing that there would be more than just math and LA. I was just scared off by Grinity's suggestion to show DS some multiplication! But i suppose if for some reason DS does make it through the other math and gets some multiplication stuff, it would be good if he knows what a multiplaction equation means.

There are indeed some things I like about having been a lawyer. One is that it was a short-lived experience! But it will come in handy in the advocacy, as long as I don't get adversarial unless absolutely necessary. Being a former lawyer is handy too - i don't have to mention to anyone what I do beyond saying SAHM. I think that would be intimidating to some people at the school.

Is this the MAP test you are talking about?

http://www.nwea.org/assets/documentlibrary/Science_single.pdf

I perused the questions on the science part and IMHO, the answers are pretty bad. Looking at the "Scientific Enquiry" I disagree with the answers on most of them. The waterfall measurement is really wierd - taking angle measurements and distance runs is a better method - you don't know how high trees are if they are higher up the cliff due to foreshortening. So is the ocean rock - most large rocks by the ocean are rough. And the population graph is plainly wrong.

On the physical sciences, The "solid" question could be both rock and oxygen. Oxygen is an element and can be a solid depending on the phase.

I see other questions that are open as well like the shape of the earth or the earth's path question - The earth if slowed to half its speed would fall towards the sun then be ejected from the solar system or enter a very large elliptical orbit - the year would not be twice as long!! The mineral sample question is wrong. Some enormous crystals are formed in the presence of cold water as well as brief exposure to high heat.

I'm not sure if this is the test. But that's disturbing that the answers are incorrect.

(But i'm most impressed that you found a test and answers!)