Whether or not to prepare your child for the CogAT depends on many factors. It’s important to learn as much as you can in advance of sitting down with your student. After you gather the information from the school, you can make an informed decision about whether to invest time and money into working with your child. It can be very stressful for your child, so get information first. Here are the questions to ask the school before the CogAT test. Write these down, and ask them during your meeting. It can mean all the difference for your child.

What to know before you talk to the school about the CogAT

It is important to understand the CogAT test itself before going to the test administrator or your child’s teacher. The more you can understand about the test in advance, the more streamlined and relevant your questions will become when faced with limited time in front of school personnel.

Sections of the CogAT

The CogAT has three sections, (Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal) usually each administered on a different day. Each section includes three parts. Research some sample questions to know what each of these sections and parts entail.

CogAT Verbal section:

• Verbal classification
• Sentence completion
• Verbal analogies

CogAT Quantitative section:

• Number series
• Equation building
• Quantitative relations

CogAT Nonverbal section:

• Figure matrices
• Paper folding
• Figure classification

What questions to ask the school before the CogAT

Before you decide about preparing your child for the CogAT, it’s important to ask some questions from the school. Depending on your unique situation, some questions to ask include the following:

Why are they having students take the CogAT?

At my children’s school in the Midwest, every student in kindergarten and fourth grade took the test. My son tested in the 98 – 99^th percentile in all three sections of the test. We received a letter that he scored high enough for the gifted/talented program; however, there wasn’t a program at the school, so it didn’t matter. However, when we moved to Colorado, those scores carried over so that when he was in second grade at his new school, he was accepted into their gifted program.

The fourth graders at the Midwestern school who took the test were given the CogAT so that they could be placed in a “fast track” program in fifth grade, at the intermediate school. A high enough score on the CogAT would have very positive ramifications for the students as they would be in a higher track surrounded with students who are on grade level and above.

What score does a child need to place into the program?

In order to get into the gifted program at my children’s current Colorado school, a student needs a score of 97% in one of the sections.

Does the student need that score in all three sections of the CogAT or just one?

At my children’s current school, once a child scores a 97% in one of the three sections, they need a 93% in one or both of the other sections to be placed into the gifted program in those sections.

If my child’s CogAT score is high enough, what program will he/she be in?

In the case at my children’s first school, administrators used the CogAT to place the students in the faster paced program. However, this was only in the later grades.

At my kids’ current school, the students are pulled out of class to meet with the gifted teacher by grade. Depending on the number of sections the child scored high enough (97%, then 93% or higher) they would leave class that number of times to meet with their same grade peers with the gifted teacher. My second grader learned to play chess; solved tangram puzzles; and played math games.

A friend who resides in Iowa said her elementary-aged children take the test every year and if students score high enough, they are placed into the fast-track classroom, a few weeks ahead of the other classes in that grade.

A friend in Oregon said their school sent a flyer home about their enrichment/gifted program. If a child’s parents or teacher recommends they take the test and the child passes high enough (97% or higher) they leave school on Friday afternoon, once a month, and take the bus to a nearby elementary school with other students for a two and a half hour enrichment session.

It is imperative you understand how your child will benefit if he/she scores high enough.

Can the student place high in one of the three sections of the CogAT and be in the program even if they don’t place high enough in the other two sections? Can they retest to get into those sections?

Be sure to include this in your list of questions to ask the school before the CogAT. The answer is essential to find out. If students just need one very high score in one of the sections, it may well be smart to focus on just one area of the CogAT, one where you believe your child shows the most knowledge/skills in. It will be especially helpful to just focus on one area if time is an issue and if the test is just weeks away.

How soon can students retest? Is there a limit to how many times they can test?

At my children’s current K – 6 school, administrators told us different things. Once I was told they can take it again after a year but only up to three times in their time there. However, after my older son took the test, he was told he could try again in two years. We will have a new gifted teacher next school year so I will be getting the correct information then.

What CogAT form will your school use?

This is very important, especially for kindergarten, first and second grades. My second grader was testing in the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the CogAT, and I had him practice the regular second grade tests, CogAT Form 6 and CogAT Form 7. Little did I know the test he was taking was read aloud by the teacher and contained pictures instead of words for the Verbal section. This was disappointing because the point in having him practice the sample tests was so that he would be familiar with the format of the test. The tests he took were completely different from what we practiced.

What grades will take the test? Does everyone take it or only certain students?

When we lived in the Midwest, all the students in the grades K and 4th took the tests. At our school in Colorado where we live now, the only students who take the test are the students that the teacher recommends. A parent can also request their child take the test but this is not widely known or advertised.

What is the date (or dates) your child will take the CogAT?

This will enable you to know how much time you have to prepare and if it will be worth it. It will also enable you to be sure your child has enough sleep leading up to the test and especially the night before the test. It will also enable you to be sure your child has a healthy breakfast and lunch those days.

How often is the CogAT administered? How will you get the results? Can your child retest? How soon and how often can your child retest?

Find out if this is a once a year test and how often your child can retest. It will be helpful if school personnel will be willing to help interpret your child’s CogAT scores.

Can any students retest for the CogAT?

Ask if your child needs a certain percentage to be able to qualify to take the test or certain parts of the test again.

Talk to your child’s teacher about the CogAT test

If possible, find out from your child’s teacher any additional information about your child and the CogAT. Does your child’s teacher recommend your child take the CogAT? Does the teacher see certain qualities in your child that leads him/her to believe your child will excel in one or more parts of the CogAT? If so, it might be worth your time to focus just on one section of the test. This way, you will be focusing on only those three parts instead of all three sections and all nine parts.

After you have answers to these questions, you need to process and really think about your child. Is your child competitive? Will he/she enjoy a challenge? Will your child be willing to sit down and learn about the types of questions on the CogAT and take a few sample questions? Is there a gifted program or separate track or other way your child will benefit from a high score on the CogAT or is the test just a formality? How will you and/or your child will feel if he/she doesn’t get into the special program?

What to ask at school about the CogAT

Is this a program that will change your child’s entire track/experience? This is significantly different than it if it will only be an enhancement to what they are already learning. If your child will be pulled out of class for a special gifted session, what will your child miss? How will that affect your child, and how will you feel about that?

It is so important to know the questions to ask the school before the CogAT so that you can make the best decisions for your child.

The Cognitive Abilities Test, more popularly known as the CogAT, is an assessment test designed for K-12 students to measure their learned reasoning abilities. These abilities are in the areas of verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning which have been linked to success in academics. My kids have all taken the CogAT multiple times, and I have lots of experience regarding this test.

The smartest, easiest, and best thing to do is to see how your child responds to the CogAT prep guides. You should look over the pages before you sit down with your child so you understand them first. Then, you can calmly go over them together. You can make this a fun time with you and your child, offering lots of encouragement.

You and your child will be able to see the the types of questions on the CogAT tests.  There may be certain types of questions — verbal, non-verbal and/or quantitative — that your child really excels at. These guides are great to see how your children will do and how interested they are.

Best CogAT test prep guides

You may want to get them a CogAT workbook for their current grade and the next grade up. Spend a few weeks working on their current grade. Then you can decide if you want them tested that year or the next year. And even if you ultimately decide you don’t want them to take the test, all of these CogAT workbooks will still benefit your children. They help to teach critical thinking skills.

• 6th grade CogAT practice tests
• 5th grade CogAT test practice
• CogAT practice for 4th grade
• 3rd grade practice for CogAT
• 2nd grade CogAT practice guide
• CogAT practice for 1st grade

Gifted programs at school

If you can’t decide if you should let your child take the CogAT, you must find out why the school administers the test. Specifically: What happens if your child “passes” the test? What happens if they don’t?

School districts across the country use the CogAT in different ways:

• Some administer the test as just another standardized test, and the results won’t have any bearing on where the students are placed.
• Other schools use it to find the students with the high scores and them pull them out for enrichment. As an example, the select students might miss a session of math each week (with their usual teacher) to pursue more in-depth math concepts and projects in a smaller group.
• Other districts and schools use it to put students on a completely different track — more accelerated learning — for all subjects.

These are all very different things. The CogAT results may have a huge impact on your child’s enrichment opportunities. Therefore, it is critical to know how the CogAT tests will affect your child. See questions to ask the school before the CogAT test.

What you will learn about your child taking the CogAT

My children have taken the CogAT several different times in the three elementary schools they’ve attended. What was amazing about the CogAT tests and results is that they really do show you and highlight your child’s particular strengths. These are aptitudes you most likely won’t realize your child has… skills like spatial reasoning and relations, correlations, quantitative aptitude, nonverbal strengths, etc. While you may recognize certain tendencies in your child — good at math, spelling, or reading, etc. — it has been very interesting to discover your child has an affinity for these types of skills.

Even if your child doesn’t score high enough to get into the particular program at his/her school, at home there are things you can do to further develop their abilities and interest in these areas. They can play with tangrams, logic games, and other games or workbooks for critical thinking. This is one of our favorite games to develop skills… fast, fun and educational!

What does the CogAT test measure

Its primary goal is the assessment of what reasoning abilities students have acquired but it also provides predicted achievement scores. Authored by University of Iowa professor emeritus David F. Logman, the CogAT is not a test of a student’s IQ, albeit there is a known correlation between a student’s performance and his/her innate ability.

The CogAT is important to educators to help them make informed decisions on student placements for their talented and gifted programs. The CogAT is given in levels as three test batteries that focus on the mentioned areas. It can be conducted either in part or in whole but the comprehensive assessment of a student is based on all three.

Should I Let My Child Take the CogAT Test?

Is the CogAT Intelligence Testing?

Contrary to what most people think, the CogAT is not a test to gauge how intelligent a student is; it measures his/her reasoning ability.

Neither does the CogAT measure a student’s speed in processing information, the amount of knowledge that he/she has retained or other components that are directly linked to an IQ appraisal.

The CogAT is not a measure of the child’s innate ability mainly because the ability to reason is learned. But while the CogAT is not, in any way, an IQ test, a CogAT score is acceptable for admission to Mensa, the world’s largest and oldest high IQ society, whose members score 98^th percentile or even higher on a supervised intelligence test.

Mensa requires a CogAT with a CSI or SAS score of 132. The Johns Hopkins University program for talented and gifted young people requires a 95% score on a CogAT. Northwestern University, meanwhile, accepts CogAT scores which are above 90%. IQ is measured statistically by test scores.

Intelligence and cognitive ability may be related and even intertwine, but they are really not the same. Cognitive abilities are mental processes using skills that are brain-based to carry out tasks and have more to do with the mechanisms of learning, remembering, and paying attention rather than actual knowledge that was learned.

CogAT isn’t an IQ test

A lot of parents interpret the CogAT wrongly as an IQ test which is designed to gauge the general ability of the individual to solve given problems as well as understand concepts. A high score on an IQ test does not necessarily ensure success in academics or even the workplace.

There are two kinds of norms used by the CogAT for test scores: grade norms and age norms. Grade norms make a comparison of a student’s performance and the performances of other students in the same grade. Age norms, on the other hand, compares a student’s performance with other students of the same age.

The span of age norms is between four years old and 11 months and 18 years old wherein students are typically grouped in intervals of one month. The use of age norms has proven to be more accurate in the assessment of students who are either old or very young for their grade levels. The raw score of the CogAT is initially calculated with a tally of the total of correctly-answered questions.

The raw score is converted using the Universal Scale Scores (USS) for each battery test. Calculation is then used to determine percentile rank, stanine score, and the SAS, short for Standard Age Score.

Is the CogAT a Good Test for Gifted Programs?

The CogAT’s purpose is to determine giftedness in children. It is a group test, not an individual one, given by professional testers and/or district teachers, not by private psychologists.

The CogAT is a gauge for a child’s ability for potential success and an opportunity to discover possible learning strengths in the child. Additionally, it can:

• Measure the student’s development of his/her deductive and inductive reasoning abilities, two factors which are critical for academic success.
• Appraise the student’s general abstract reasoning abilities as well as his/her capacity to apply these to non-verbal and verbal cognitive tasks.
• Provide data on the development levels of a student’s specific and general K-12 cognitive skills.

CogAT results are typically used when one teacher has particular concerns regarding a specific student’s lack of performance progress, especially in the classroom. The CogAT score of this student will give the teacher an overview of the student’s learning styles as well as his/her abilities that are analyzed for resolution.

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Why Should I Have My Child Tested?

Parents should be aware that standardized testing is only one way of measuring a student’s ability as well as his/her achievement. An individual’s capabilities are certainly more complex and actually more diverse than what academic ability or even achievement tests are able to measure.

The words “gifted” and “talented” are used to recognize students of exceptional abilities who require educational programs especially designed to help them achieve not their personal potential but also their future contribution to society. These students include those who have already demonstrated achievement or potential ability.

If you think your child may be gifted or talented, you, teachers, and school guidance counselors can refer him/her for identification to receive gifted services as early as kindergarten level. The qualifications for these services will be based on the CogAT as well as MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) scores.

At What Age to Give the CogAT Test?

The CogAT may be administered to children from kindergarten to grade 12. The CogAT level of the test is based on the child’s age with the number assigned to each level corresponding to the particular age level of the child it is administered to.

Level 9, for instance, is given to nine-year-olds and generally administered to third graders.

CogAT Testing Levels

Here is a quick rundown to give you an idea of the CogAT testing levels and the particular grades these are administered to:

CogAT Level            Grade

5/6                      Kindergarten

7                           Grade 1

8                           Grade 2

9                           Grade 3

10                         Grade 4

11                         Grade 5

12                         Grade 6

13/14                     Grades 7 to 8

15/16                     Grades 9 to 10

17/18                     Grades 11 to 12

CogAT sections

The test is comprised of three sections:

• Nonverbal
• Verbal
• Quantitative

The sections are termed as batteries which may be administered either together or separately depending on the specific needs of the school which administers the CogAT. These battery tests have been designed to:

• Assess particular reasoning skills in the area which has a strong link to success in academics.
• Measure cognitive development of the student.
• Quantify the ability of the student to learn new or different tasks.
• Appraise the student’s ability to solve problems.

Much of the content in the CogAT is nonverbal, which can be effective in testing non-native speakers of English.

Types of CogAT questions

Take a look at what kind of questions are asked in the CogAT to give you an idea of how your child may fare:

• Nonverbal: subtests include figure matrices, figure classification, and paper folding.
• Verbal: subtests include picture/verbal analogies, sentence completion, and picture/verbal classification.
• Quantitative: subtests include number series, number analogies, and number puzzles.

How long is the CogAT test

The time of administered the CogAT varies and depends on how much time is spent by the proctor who administers it. A student is provided from 30 to 45 minutes per test battery. The CogAT has 118 to 176 questions, depending on the test level and may take the student between two and three hours to answer all of them and complete the three battery tests.

The current CogAT being administered is known as Form 7, albeit CogAT Form 6, its predecessor, is still administered at particular schools. Parents should be aware about the differences between Form 7 and Form 6 in order to know which version of the test their children are going to take. Some differences have been made as to the number of questions on each of the levels of both Form 7 and Form 6.

CogAT Form 6

Number of Questions Per Level                    Level

120 questions                                                                5/6

132 questions                                                                7

144 questions                                                                8

190 questions                                                                9

190 questions                                                                10 to 18

CogAT Form 7

Number of Questions Per Level                    Level

118 questions                                                                5/6

136 questions                                                                7

154 questions                                                                8

170 questions                                                                9

176 questions                                                                10 to 18

Form 7 is considered more accessible to students who are non-native English speakers because it has been designed in a nonverbal format. Changes between the two Forms in the primary levels were made for the accommodation of ELL (English Language Learner) students.

Form 7 of primary levels 5/6 to 8, in fact, is now nearly made up of non-verbal questions. The one section which will require language skills is the section on Sentence Completion that is, even the, optional and available for both Spanish- and English-speaking students. Additionally, all levels have instructions in either Spanish or English.

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Can the CogAT Test Contradict Performance?

The CogAT is a challenging test. The increasing number of children whose parents want them in gifted programs has made the CogAT a challenge to take. Can this test’s results contradict a student’s performance? Yes and no.

Yes, if the student scores a passing grade and makes it to the program. If the student fails to make the grade, it can discourage him/her because of frustration. The trick is to prepare the child for CogAT. There are several websites that offer comprehensive packages of practice tests that resemble the questions of the CogAT.

CogAT practice test

Additionally, your child’s school can suggest the best CogAT practice tests. It is generally believed that cognitive ability can predict academic success, not contradict it. Both parental involvement and expectations, however, play a key role in academic achievement as well. There are several factors that influence a student’s academic performance:

• Cognitive ability
• Achievement motivation
• Socio-economic status (SES)
• Parents
• Peers
• Culture
• Teachers

Cognitive psychologists have now identified several aspects of cognitive abilities – including how efficiently a student processes information, how much of this information can be processed simultaneously, how much of it can be retained in the mind, and how well new problems are solved – that can either encourage or constrain learning. Developmental toys can help your child reach his maximum potential.

One has to understand the direct relationship between a student’s cognitive development and his/her academic performance, especially the cognitive ability of perceptual reasoning, reading fluency, mental arithmetic, and reading comprehension.

Should every child take the CogAT test?

A child’s cognitive ability influences academic performance; it does not contradict it. In fact, a high CogAT score translates to high academic performance and, in some cases, vice versa, although a passing score may not necessarily mean the child is gifted or talented but is more of the average student. Should your child take the CogAT? For all intents and purposes, yes.

Crystallized knowledge

If your child has a high capacity for crystallized knowledge, taking the CogAT will further enhance it. Crystallized knowledge is acquired knowledge such as arithmetic and vocabulary. If your child has a high capacity for fluid knowledge, the CogAT can determine the extent with which your child can solve new problems.

Fluid knowledge

Fluid knowledge is acquired by having fluid skills, the capabilities needed for abstract reasoning in order that the student may solve new problems like identifying patterns and making extrapolations without basing the solutions on acquired factual knowledge.

Students with strong fluid skills have the advantage to acquire crystallized knowledge. Cognitive ability has an innate component while the majority of cognitive skills can be learned. Cognitive ability enables the student to process sensory information that he/she collects to evaluate, analyze, and retain, make comparisons, determine action, and recall experiences.

When these abilities are in place, academic performance is improved or enhanced. Cognitive skills can be strengthened, enhanced or even restored to increase the performance and ease of learning. Let your child take the CogAT test to know if he/she can get into a gifted program because it is worth a try. If they don’t get it, you can use their test results to see their strengths and build on them.

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Educational games are not simply for entertainment but are helpful in honing a child’s abilities in learned reasoning. This article gives information on why and how such games are an effective preparation for the Cognitive Abilities Test, or CogAT for short. This test assess a student’s reasoning abilities not only with learning but with problem solving. A child’s reasoning abilities are important in or out of the academe.

CogAT measures three major domains which are linked to success in academics and help educators as well in decisions on student placements such as expansion of educational opportunities and, in some states, selection of students for talented and gifted programs.

Because educational games are specifically designed with learning in mind, they can not only help a child expand concepts, understand sequences, and reinforce mind development but help him or her learn certain skills while at play. Board and card games and puzzles are traditional educational games benefit a child’s psychological need. Age-appropriate developmental toys are critical to boost critical thinking skills.

List of educational games

The constructivist principle operates on interaction, understanding the whole situation, coping with issues, active participation of the learner or student, re-invention, experimentation with knowledge, manipulation, and reconstruction to make something organized, meaningful, and, hopefully, permanent. Here is a list, in no particular order, of the best educational toys and games:

1. LEGO

Perhaps the best DIY educational game of all time, LEGO teaches a child how imagination can make even the smallest parts be important in the overall scheme of things. Few educational games have retained their original charm but LEGO remains on top of the charts with its simple block colors and sizes for creation of almost anything, from houses to robots to cars and trains.

2. Goldie Blox

Developed by engineer Debbie Sterling to inspire future female engineers, Goldie Blox educational game is really a toy that taps into a female child’s spatial and verbal skills that enable them to create and invent. It features a smart girl named Goldie in a book which accompanies this STEM-inspired construction toy. The learner helps Goldie in problem-solving through building things.

No matter what your child’s age, there are so many excellent science toys available.

3. Jelly Tower

Young children and teens construct a jelly tower that should be wide or high enough in order to reach the checkpoint of a certain height. The challenge is to build a Jelly Tower structure that will be sufficiently sturdy from the ground and up with the use of few jellies as much as possible. This educational game teaches the learner physics by means of simple and uncomplicated terms such as the law of gravity.

4. Ello Creation System

This one engages young girls (between 5 and 14) in construction. Ello Creation System has incorporated traditional elements such as crafts with customization and beading, panels and shapes in colorful palettes, a building process that is intuitive and flexible, and a variety of themes for girls to create buildings, characters, decorative accessories, jewelry, and anything else they want or imagine.

5. Zoomorphs

Each set has 30 to a hundred plastic pieces of animals which a child can snap together to create actual animals like a dinosaur or cat. The pieces can be rearranged so as to for various fantasy creatures such as a horse-dinosaur-bird-cat. Each of Zoomorphs set’s pieces are also interchangeable with pieces from other sets which result in nearly limitless possibilities for a child’s imagination to create.

6. Spacerail

This marble roller coaster building set allows the user to make his or her roller coaster by following instructions provided with the construction kit. The DIY feature of SpaceRail has always enthralled users since it first came out. The goal of this educational toy is to ensure that he or she has assembled good quality tracks so the marbles run smoothly and glide evenly. More information about Educational SpaceRail Roller Coaster

7. Erector Set

Consisting of several metal beams that have regular holes, the Erector Set can be assembled using bolts and nuts and includes other parts like gears, small electric motors, pulleys, and wheels. The Erector Set’s distinctive feature is its ability to be constructed like one model and be taken apart over and over again to construct something else altogether.

8. Chaos Machine

With this game, education is on target as it requires creativity, modification, improvisation, and tuning new gadgets for construction of a rolling ball. After the machine’s basic framework is set up, learners start building tracks, adding gadgets, and installing ball lifts, adding more sets over time so the machines becomes larger. Problem-solving skills are definitely honed by the Chaos Machine and Tower.

With these educational games and toys, the learner or student acquires skills in figure classifications, quantitative reasoning, matrices, and problem-solving which are needed to pass the CogAT.

You may not see games or toys as educational at first glance, but going into the details of they are created, improvised, enhanced or improved, you will realize how they can be useful.

Importance of educational games

In recent years, however, the range of educational games has widened and now includes constructing kits such as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) toys. Educational games, fidget tools, and magnetic toys meet learning needs with creativity, structure, passionate involvement, motivation, adrenaline, social interaction, gratification, a sense of accomplishment, emotional fulfillment, and fun and enjoyment.

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What is CogAT?

Published by Riverside Publishing, CogAT, as mentioned, is an assessment of problem solving and reasoning abilities of a child through verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative questions.

Each district or school uses its own criteria for admission to advanced or gifted programs for selected students. The formats of CogAT depend on the child’s age and come distinctly and independently from each other.

The Primary Format is conducted orally for early elementary students to avoid penalizing younger children who may not read as fluently as the older ones while the Multi-Level Format CogAT is used for assessing the abilities of older students. There are also variations in Forms 6 and 7 of CogAT which parents should be aware of.

Different CogAT Versions

Reasoning has always been synonymous with both problem-solving and learning and CogAT measures the domains mentioned in order to have a balanced perspective in obtaining a child’s potential for success in the academe.

Although CogAt Form 6 is continued to be used, most schools have already transitioned to the 7th edition or Form 7 of CogAT. The main differences between the two forms include:

1. Questions for the primary level – kindergarten up to 2nd grade – are now picture-based instead of word based.
2. There are now questions for figural analysis included for kindergarten level.

Riverside Publishing released the new CogAT Form 7 in July 2011 with modifications. The overall changes of this new version were made to make the test as fair as possible to students of the English Language Learner or ELL program. One major change between Forms 6 and 7 is the level identification.

In Form 6, Primary K, 1 or 2 was taken by younger children. Older students took the Multi-Level versions from 3 to 12. In Form 7, however, the tests have been designed to correspond primarily to the age of the child who regardless of grade level.

Additionally, children who take CogAT during the school year’s latter part will have the Fall CogAT version which has comparatively more difficult questions than that of the Spring version.

CogAT Verbal Reasoning for 3rd Graders and Up

CogAT’s Verbal Reasoning section for 3rd Graders and up, for instance, measures academic skills such as verbal classification, sentence completion, verbal analogy, and verbal reasoning that are emphasized in elementary.

To give you an idea of what the actual CogAT will be like, take a look at some of the general descriptions of each measurement:

1. Sentence Completion: a sentence is given to a student for completion with one word taken out. The student chooses the word in a multiple choice setting to complete the sentence sensibly. For the sentence “Apples _______ on trees,” the choices are grow, bloom, fall, spread, and show. The answer is “grow,” of course.
2. Verbal Analogy: three words are given to the student, the first two of which go together. The student must choose a word so that the third word goes in the same way the second word does with the first. One example is this: new is to old as wet is to _______. The choices include rain, hot, dry, sun, and drip (the answer is dry).
3. Verbal Classification: a list with three words is given to the student who will choose one word from five that may be alike in the same way. Displayed words, for example, are Green Blue Red with choices such as color, paint, yellow, crayon, and rainbow (the answer is color).

 Practice CogAT Test

For 5th and 6th Graders, Levels 11 and 12 in the practice test for CogAt Form 7 includes 176 questions, each with an answer key, covering verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative sections. Verbal assessment includes verbal analogies, verbal classifications, and sentence completion.

For the quantitative section, there are number analogies, number series, and number puzzles. Non-verbal reasoning is done through figure matrices, figure classifications, and paper folding. Non-verbal reasoning is the most challenging test a child can take since this has very little relation to formal instruction learned in the classroom.

It requires no prior knowledge or reading and may use purely figures and shapes for the student to work on.

 

The Benefits of Educational Games

Although games play a significant role both in informal and non-formal learning segments, they are still considered non-serious activities by formal education. This seems unfortunate because of the great potentials of educational games which often provide effective opportunities for learning in a non-traditional way.

Educational games offer learning more by experience than by studying. They also provide students such experiences which can be used in response to many different challenges because they have numerous knowledge presentations that create opportunities applicable to the real world.

Educational games not only support learning processes but also facilitate these in a more enjoyable and faster manner. Why do some education specialists choose to teach with games?

We all play games for the fun and enjoyment but there are also other reasons, each one different from the next, as to why games are played with education as the main purpose. How we look at them as students and teachers from different learning perspectives make their contextual results varied.

From a learner’s viewpoint, for instance, educational games may mean:

• Having fun in playing while learning at the same time.
• Taking a challenge and surpassing expectations.
• Achieving better scores, ratings or points.
• Getting the chance to experiment and see the outcome.
• Expressing feelings.
• Resolving conflict situations.
• Trying out several roles.

For teachers, educational games are a way to reach new generations of learners with mediums they are comfort and familiar with from childhood. Educational games can introduce new learning skills that raise interest and increase motivation, both factors which offer yet another opportunity to communicate and interact.

Game-based learning has the following specific benefits:

• Engagement and motivation are learned in a positive manner.
• Different skills are acquired securely in a contextual environment.
• The basic eye-hand coordination is followed by complex skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking, communication, collaboration, and social skills.
• Learning is defined by doing, participation, creativity, and experimentation.

There is a plethora of games that may be used in a learning context but how does a parent choose which game for the child? The primary question is: what do we want the child to learn?

The choice of the educational game – or toy, for that matter – depends on what the learning objective is. The improvement of factual knowledge, for instance, should have quiz games.

If the learning objected is social interaction, a game that requires several players is applicable. For an educational game to be effective, there should be a linkage between action and subsequent feedback. This enables the student or learner to assess his or her performance level and teach him or her how to improve on it.

A good educational game should be able to provide a challenge that can match the learner’s skill level for him or her to master before going on to the next stage. When the student or learner is able to evaluate his or her taken course of action and decision in playing an educational game, his or her skill continues to be enhanced.

Introducing new and unexpected activities within the game then serves as a motivation to acquire new knowledge and skills sets. Motivation is especially successful when learning is by the constructivist theory.

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