Kindergarten/Pre-K Readiness Testing
Helping parents better understand their child’s readiness for Kindergarten/Pre-K and their potential school matches.
Admission testing has long been a source of anxiety for parents looking at Kindergarten and Pre-K at independent schools. Parents worry: Has their three-, four-, or five-year-old learned the skills that will be tested? Will their quiet child be able to share what they know? Will their anxious child separate from them and go with a tester? Will their active child maintain focus? Will a school truly be able to see what their child knows and how wonderful they are?
NEC’s readiness testing serves as the crystal ball to answer all of these questions and put testing and the associated admission process in the correct perspective for parents. Through a private assessment prior to independent school admission testing, parents can have an idea of how their child will respond to an admission testing situation and know the score outcome with detailed areas of strength and potential for growth.
Readiness testing is ideal for anyone looking to remove the mystique of admission testing so that they can focus on when and where to apply. It also specifically supports:
Families beginning their school search for Pre-K or Kindergarten and wanting to focus on schools that match their child as a learner
Families wondering if their child should apply to kindergarten or proceed to an additional year of preschool, JK, or Pre-K.
Families who benefit from the knowledge of what admission test scores will be in order to make decisions about how many schools should be in their search and which ones will likely be the best match for their young learner.
FAQ
When should I schedule readiness testing?
The goal of readiness testing is to give parents information on how their child is likely to perform on admission testing at local independent schools. We recommend scheduling testing October-Dec in order to have time to make school application decisions based on the results of the readiness testing.
How long will my child spend in testing?
Actual testing time for Pre-K and Kindergarten is typically around 45 minutes. However, all sessions are scheduled for 60 minutes to allow children to make a comfortable transition with the tester and have some flexibility with pacing of the test content. The amount of time taken for testing is not indicative of a child’s performance on the assessment and is not an aspect of the score report unless it relates to areas of content difficulty.
What is the format of testing?
Pre-K and Kindergarten readiness testing are administered individually. A variety of hands-on and engaging activities are used to assess developmental readiness in the areas of number concepts, auditory skills, fine motor skills, language concepts, visual skills, and gross motor skills.
How can I prepare my child for what to expect?
Prior to the testing appointment, NEC sends parents detailed information about our testers so that children will know the people with whom they will interact. In explaining what our time together will entail, most children respond well to understanding that they will do similar activities with us as they do with their teachers at preschool. If children are accustomed to an electronic format in their learning, it can be helpful to explain in advance that there will not be any tasks on screen during their assessment. Most children thrive in our one-on-one test environment and enjoy the variety of activities presented during the assessment.
What if my child is sick or it snows the morning of my test?
NEC requires health checklist questions and a temperature check for each tester prior to an assessment. Any child exhibiting a fever, any symptoms related to COVID-19, or generally feeling unwell will be rescheduled for testing at a later date. Rescheduling will be prioritized to occur within the admission process timeline.
In the case of inclement winter weather on a test date, NEC will contact families directly about the ability to continue with the test appointments for the day. Families will be advised to use their discretion on such days, and NEC will happily reschedule for families who feel unsafe traveling in winter weather conditions.
How will I know my child’s scores and what they mean?
Parents receive a detailed score report and link to schedule a virtual appointment to review results and ask questions.
Can I have my results sent to a school?
Yes. We will happily send score reports to a child’s current school and/or schools to which they are applying.