Scoring High on the Stanford Achievement Test

[LisaTheresa]

We are required to do testing and my son will be taking this test through the school at the end of March. I want to get a test prep book for him because I think he'll be much more successful if he's used to the format of the test.

Do I need to buy the teacher's manual? Where is the best place to buy? Is there another test prep book that would be better?

Thanks!
Lisa

[Basketmaker Amy]

What grade? (I have a 3rd grade set for sale!) We found them to be helpful last year. It has sample problems and sample tests. I bought the TM because it had the answers and I didn't have the time to spend taking the tests myself. I think it gives them confidence going into the tests.

I bought mine through Rainbow Resources.

Good luck...let me know if you need a 3rd grade set!

[LisaTheresa]

Amy -

Unfortunately, I need it for 2nd grade. He'll be taking the IOWA in 3rd grade, or I might be interested in your set.

Is the teacher guide necessary if I'm willing to figure out the answers myself?

Thanks!
Lisa

[Holly IN]

I am interested in this as well since my oldest is taking the IOWA for the 1st time.

Rainbow Resource has several choices but I have a hard time deciding which....

I am goign to keep an eye on this thread.

Holly

[Beth in Central TX]

I will second the recommendation of Scoring High. I purchase ours through Rainbow Resource, and I buy the student book and the TM. I actually let me sons write in the student book to practice "bubbling in" skills.

This will be our 5th year using Scoring High to prepare for the Stanford Achievement Testing. I think it does a great job of our preparing our boys for the different types of questions, and it also gives them hints for testing strategy.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Amy -

Unfortunately, I need it for 2nd grade. He'll be taking the IOWA in 3rd grade, or I might be interested in your set.

Is the teacher guide necessary if I'm willing to figure out the answers myself?

Thanks!
Lisa

Just curious, why are you doing the Stanford this year and Iowas the following year? I wanted to switch to Iowas but we have been doing the Stanfords since first. I had the impression that if we switched, it wouldn't tell me anything useful until I had another year of the same test to compare it to, KWIM?

[Basketmaker Amy]

Amy -

Unfortunately, I need it for 2nd grade. He'll be taking the IOWA in 3rd grade, or I might be interested in your set.

Is the teacher guide necessary if I'm willing to figure out the answers myself?

Thanks!
Lisa

I just checked my TM. You will need it for the "Listening" portion of the test....at least of the Stanford Achievement Test.

[LisaTheresa]

Just curious, why are you doing the Stanford this year and Iowas the following year? I wanted to switch to Iowas but we have been doing the Stanfords since first. I had the impression that if we switched, it wouldn't tell me anything useful until I had another year of the same test to compare it to, KWIM?


I am just going with what the local schools are offering to homeschoolers. I don't know why they offer different tests for different grades. You make a good point about being able to compare tests from year to year.

This is the first time I'm having my son do his testing at the school. I thought it would be interesting to see if he is able to do well with all the distractions that go on in group testing. If he doesn't, I'll be doing it at home again next year.

Lisa

[LisaTheresa]

Thank you, Amy!

Lisa

[LisaTheresa]

I will second the recommendation of Scoring High. I purchase ours through Rainbow Resource, and I buy the student book and the TM. I actually let me sons write in the student book to practice "bubbling in" skills.

This will be our 5th year using Scoring High to prepare for the Stanford Achievement Testing. I think it does a great job of our preparing our boys for the different types of questions, and it also gives them hints for testing strategy.

Beth -

How long does it take you to go through the test prep books and how much time do you spend doing it? I'm just wondering how much time I should allocate to this.

Thanks!
Lisa

[yinne]

Holly:

I've given the IOWA test to my kids, starting at 3rd grade, for the last 6 years and have had good success with the test prep materials sold by BJUP. There are two different approaches; a test prep that emphsizes content, or a test prep that emphasizes test-taking strategies.

The first year I had them take the IOWA test I had them work through a book called "Test for Sucess" which emphasizes test-taking strategies. It is published by Riverside Publisihing which is the same company that publishes the IOWA test. Subsequent years we have used the content approach. "Better Test Scores" is the other series we have used. There is a choice of three books; Reading, Language, or Math. Each booklet begins with a tryout test, and depending upon how the kids do on the tryout test we pick what sections to go over, then conclude with the 2nd tryout test at the end of the book. If they don't miss any on the 1st tryout test we are finished with that book and I don't see any reason to proceed further.

Just thought I'd share our experiences.

Yvonne in NE

[Holly IN]

Thank you Yvonne....That was very helpful. Now I just have to decide....

ha ha

This is the answer I need.

Holly:D