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Test Prep Guide for the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) and Testing Talented and Gifted (TAG)

Test Preparation Practice for GATE and TAG Assessments

The GATE and TAG are two of the most common tests administered to find out if your child qualifies for a gifted program. The acronym GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) and TAG (Talented and Gifted) can be used for a specialized school program or for a group of tests that are taken for entry into a gifted and talented program.

These programs are offered during and after school and involve a differentiated curriculum. This specialized curriculum usually compacts and accelerates the typical grade-level course work, making content much more difficult. Some programs are one to two grade levels above standard public school education. Deeper analysis in specialized subject matter will demand higher-level thinking such as analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

How are students identified for the GATE/TAG programs? Many school districts offer opportunities for children to take a test such as the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) or Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT). The test score is then used to decide whether a child qualifies for a GATE/TAG program.

The terms GATE and TAG are not used universally. Private and public school districts may have a specific name for their gifted program (such as Spectrum, Honors, Advanced or Enrichment), or refer to it by the name of the school where the accelerated program is offered.

If you find out that your school will be testing for its GATE/TAG program you may be able to find more information from the school psychologist or district Web site about time, place and content of the tests.

By introducing your child to a wide range of thinking skills and activity formats covered on most IQ and achievement tests, infused with standards-based curriculum, you will provide invaluable preparation that will that will lead to higher test scores, and success beyond the test date.

The Critical Thinking Co.™ now offers Test Prep bundles for GATE/TAG programs. These new book bundles include award winning titles with a proven success record in test preparation.

After learning which specific test your child will take to qualify for the GATE/TAG program at your school, be sure to use our test prep guide online to learn more about the test.

Try our easy-order bundles by age/grade, or simply choose items that your children will enjoy at a skill-appropriate level that you think will challenge them. Free printable samples are available for all our materials so you can try before you buy.

Test Prep Bundles and Suggested Test Prep Plan for GATE/TAG

We recommend working with the bundles over at least a six-week period, but we also recognize parents often receive a testing date with less than 30-days’ notice. If you are really pressed for time, and you see the student has mastery in a section, you may skip ahead. You may also want to bookmark and return to activities that are more challenging.

One way to measure the mastery is to use the first few items in each activity as a pre-test. If you see that your children answers quickly and correctly, you may want to consider moving on. If they struggle, go through the activities as best you can, but bookmark them and consider going back over the material. Using the pre-test technique will give you a good idea of where the child’s strengths and weaknesses are across the skills and abilities the material covers.

The bundles offer a lot of material, but if you make working with the books part of the daily routine, you’ll be surprised how fast things will move. Remember, the youngest students have shorter attention spans, so 15 minutes a session is fine.

It is also important to point out that all the titles have value well beyond the testing window. Each title will help enhance your child’s ability to reason and analyze, skills that are essential for success in many arenas.

Kindergarten Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®

01455XBP: $148.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 1

43

1

2

4

Can You Find Me? K-1

80

2

3

6

Mathematical Reasoning™ Level A

1,500

36

50

107

Math Analogies Beginning

152

4

5

11

Building Thinking Skills® Primary*

435

11

15

31

Thinking Skills for Tests Workbook

123

3

4

9

Thinking Skills for Tests Guide

NA

NA

NA

NA

Totals  

57

79

168

* Building Thinking Skills® Primary requires Attribute Blocks and Interlocking Cubes (included in bundle).

 

Grade 1 Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®

01456XBP: $150.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 2

43

1

2

4

Can You Find Me? K-1

80

3

3

6

Mathematical Reasoning™ Level B

1,890

45

63

135

Math Analogies Beginning

152

4

5

11

Building Thinking Skills® Primary*

435

11

15

31

Thinking Skills for Tests Workbook

123

3

4

9

Thinking Skills for Tests Guide

NA

NA

NA

NA

Totals  

67

92

196

* Building Thinking Skills® Primary requires Attribute Blocks and Interlocking Cubes (included in bundle).

 

Grade 2 Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®
01457XBP: $124.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 2

43

1

2

4

Mathematical Reasoning™ Level C

1,758

42

59

126

Math Analogies Level 1

152

4

5

11

Building Thinking Skills® Level 1

1,072

25

36

76

Balance Benders™ Beginning

40

1

1

3

Thinking Skills for Tests Workbook

123

3

4

9

Thinking Skills for Tests Guide

NA

NA

NA

NA

Totals  

76

107

229

 

Grade 3 Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®

01458XBP $167.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 3

35

1

1

3

Word Roots Beginning

93

2

3

7

Mathematical Reasoning™ Level D

2,094

50

70

150

Math Analogies Level 1

152

4

5

11

Think Analogies® A1

240

6

8

17

Building Thinking Skills® Level 1

1,072

25

36

76

Balance Benders™ Beginning Level

40

1

1

3

Thinking Skills For Tests: Upper Elementary

229

5

8

15

Pattern Explorer Beginning

330

8

11

24

Totals  

102

143

306

 

Grades 4-6 Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®
01459XBP: $240.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 3 & Mind Benders® Level 4

68

2

2

5

Word Roots Level 1 & Word Roots Level 2

372

9

12

27

Math Analogies Level 2

48

1

2

3

Mathematical Reasoning™ Gr. 4-6 Supplement

849

20

28

61

Think Analogies® A1

240

6

8

17

Building Thinking Skills® Level 2

1,374

33

46

98

Balance Benders™ Level 1

40

1

1

3

Mathematical Reasoning™ Level F

2,304

55

75

165

Thinking Skills For Tests: Upper Elementary

229

5

8

15

Pattern Explorer Level 1

295

7

10

21

Totals  

142

197

423

 

Grades 7-12 Test Prep Bundle for CogAT®
01489XBP: $197.99

Number of Activities

Six Week
Program: Daily #

One Month
Program: Daily #

Two Week
Program: Daily #

Mind Benders® Level 5 & Mind Benders® Level 6

52

1

2

4

Word Roots Level 3 & Word Roots Level 4

655

15

22

47

Mathematical Reasoning™ Middle School Supplement

600

14

20

43

Think Analogies® B1

294

7

10

21

Building Thinking Skills® Level 3 Figural

889

21

30

64

Building Thinking Skills® Level 3 Verbal

1,418

34

47

101

Balance Benders™ Level 2

40

1

1

3

Pattern Explorer Level 2

306

7

10

22

Totals  

100

142

305

These bundles are the same bundles created for the CogAT® test prep. The contents of these bundles were determined by The Critical Thinking Co.™ and are not endorsed by either the author or publisher. We do not claim that our materials match up exactly to each test or teach all the skills measured in a particular assessment.

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