Comments on: Info from GEAP

By: not so happy

not so happy — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:14:08 +0000

We accepted our spot at Skinner West. Nice new building but wow, its all business no time for play after school. Homework for 2-3 hours for first graders!
Very rigorous standards for 6 and 7 year olds. Our daughter is so bright but I realized now this is not a pleasant environment for a child.
Wish we had gone to Franklin.

By: Jeannine Cordero

Jeannine Cordero — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:11:30 +0000

Hi All:

My son was just accepted at Pritzker into the Gifted Program. We are going on the tour Friday, but also have to make our decision Friday or lose the placement. I was interested in hearing from any one at Pritzker about their impressions of the school. Thank you.

By: wondering

wondering — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:16:19 +0000

lol i thought the buttering up phase was totally out of the picture for years with these schools.. isnt edison, decatur, etc all schools that focus more on acedemics than then the fun portion. the competion can make or break a child sometimes its a hard decision, but nerve raking when they go for the tests in feb and we dont know what to expect on these exmas with the children…is your child currently at decatur? how do you like the school?

By: cpsobsessed

cpsobsessed — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:50:41 +0000

Yep. I’m talking about LaSalle Language Academy (although now there is a LaSalle II as well.)
Hawthorne is a very good school but some may consider it a little too “academic” meaning more focus on learning and less focus on fun. They have great test scores considering that kids do not test in, but I suspect they attract a certain type of parent.
Yep, it is all luck at this point and if you’re out of the neighborhood you have a little less luck than in the past.
And from what they’re saying, you can’t butter up the principal this year to get in.

By: wondering

wondering — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:12:50 +0000

when you talk about lasalle in this blog do you mean lasalle language academy? or is their anoter lasalle school ? i have heard hawthorne is good too but these are all on luck eh

By: cpsobsessed

cpsobsessed — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:14:58 +0000

Wondering, go to the tab at the top of the blog called “gifted and classical testing info” and you’ll find some links that address test prep.
If you have a child testing for a K spot, I think the best thing to do is have them do some practice answering test-like questions just so they get the idea of what it is. Tell them what will happen at the test (or whatever you call it to them.) If they have any pre-reading or writing skills, review them in a fun way in the month before the test (which many parents may be doing already,) and perhaps have them try some logic questions (some potential books are available at ThinkTonight.com.)

Overall, I don’t think many Chicago parents do a ton of “prep.” It’s hard to get a 4yo to participate! the truth is that there are a lot of bright kids and very few spots so much of it ends up being luck-of-the-draw in terms of how your child tested that day. I think it was random luck that my son got into a program while I know plenty of kids his age who could totally do the work in his class but didn’t test in that year. One of the smartest kids I know didn’t test well. Who knows why?

By: wondering

wondering — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:56:43 +0000

your blog is really insightful i never knew how hard it and how competitive

By: wondering

wondering — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:35:09 +0000

hmmm…so is their any way to prepare them for these tests aside from what they already know…does doing blobs and flashcards help

By: cpsobsessed

cpsobsessed — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:58:49 +0000

Wondering – unfortunately that is one of the best kept secrets in the city.
Best guess is that the classical test ask early reading and math questions while the gifted test is more about logic and pattern recognition ( which thing doesn’t belong, which comes next in the pattern, if bob is older than sally and sue, and sally is older than sue, who is the youngest?)

By: wondering

wondering — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:45:12 +0000

Hi, im wondering does anybody know what kind of questions were asked for the cps testing of classical and rgc schools?