Children's Skills Test

Rating:
Summary: Too bad these aren't being published anymore......
Review: I own all three levels of this: Primary (for grades K-3), Intermediate (for grades 4-6), and Advanced (for grades 7-9).

These are standardized tests which parents administer at home on the computer. They will measure your child's aptitude and performance in math, language arts, science, and social studies. They will also measure your child's IQ.

These tests are not boring fill-in-the-bubble types of answer sheets. They have colorful graphics, unique characters which introduce each test, and music.

You may use these with *all* your children, giving these cd-roms multiplied value; a one-time purchase of each level is all you need for all your kids.

Please understand that, if you get test results you are unhappy with or don't agree with, there are many variables which could have contributed to those results. I've used these for several years; most years produce accurate results, but a couple of times the results were definitely *not* accurate. For example, one year my middle child's IQ tested at 79! This is slightly above retarted! I *knew* this was wrong. The instructions clearly state that this type of thing can happen; because of this, test results are best guaged over a couple of years (you may test your child every six months if you choose, except the IQ portion, which is tested only once per year).

Your child needs to be able to use a mouse to use these tests properly. Mental illness or other states of mental or emotional disturbance will *not* be diagnosed with these tests.

The cd-rom comes with a handbook for parents. It gives instructions for loading the program, using the program, how to read test results, description of the different tests, description of how the publisher developed the tests, FAQ, and troubleshooting. Please read the handbook thoroughly before administering the tests.

I have been extremely pleased with these tests. You can choose to print a shortened version of the results, or a *very* detailed analysis of them. This feature is extremely helpful, especially the first few times you use them. I am surprised they aren't being published anymore, because they are well worth the retail price of ....

These will operate on both the Windows and Mac platforms.

Rating:
Summary: Know your child's strength and weaknesses!
Review: This program is a great way of testing a child's performance in all the essential subjects in school. The test results provide a detailed analysis of your child's progress with grade equlvalents, with percentiles and standard scores. This testing is done through a multimedia game approach and in which your child is actually having fun playing while being tested. I highly recommend this program Skills test (K-3) and the Skills test (4-6). The assessment portion is informative and fairly accurate.