The NNAT is an Unbiased Test

A common — and valid — criticism of standardized tests is that they are biased against certain groups of children. The NNAT, or Naglieri Non-Verbal Abilities Test, however, is not one of those exams. The NNAT has been proven to accurately assess the abilities, potential and learning capability of children from all groups, without any specific biases.

The NNAT uses unique methods and assessment criteria that help bring stereotypes about gifted and talent students to an end. The NNAT shows profound results among all groups of students, regardless of sex, race, class or ethnicity. As a result, the NNAT is gaining many more minority students access to gifted and talented programs that were previously out of their reach due to out-dated and biased assessment tools.

Because of its ability to test children without regard to their background, the NNAT is being utilized by more and more schools across the country to determine the abilities and potential of their students. It is a good tool for identifying children who are eligible for a gifted or advanced program, as well as students who may need a little more help to reach their full academic potential. In this way, the NNAT is actually helping to level the playing field for children who are originally from a different cultural background from the majority of their peers, as well as for children from lower socioeconomic classes who may not have equal access to preparation materials and tutors as some of their wealthier peers.

The best way to prepare for the NNAT, especially if you are on a budget, is to make use of free practice questions and other resources. Many sites offer a free assessment or individual practice questions that mimic the format of the NNAT and contain content that is similar to that found on the actual test. An example can be found at http://www.aristotlecircle.com/blog/download-our-free-naglieri-nonverbal-ability-test-nnat-practice-test.

Testing for Kindergarten

The NNAT-2, Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability test, is administered to children as young as 4 years old for kindergarten admission. Testing for Kindergarten is a very contentious subject, because many feel that 4 year olds should not have to have their intelligence tested yet. Some parents think that their 4 year olds do not know how to be tested yet, or that testing can unfairly assess their child’s intelligence. However, these tests can benefit your child. These tests will be help assess your child’s readiness for kindergarten.

There are many different reasons why a school implements testing for kindergarteners. It is a good way to assess where the child is in their development. With this assessment, children can be placed in groups of children with similar development levels. The purpose of grouping children together in this nature is to make sure the children are comfortable, they feel secure and do not have trouble fitting in. This is also to ensure that your child will not get bored in class or feel overwhelmed when they have problems understanding the material.

These tests for kindergarteners do not just assess their intelligence, but also their independence and their social readiness. The tests are taken away from their parents, and this is a good tool to determine whether the child is ready or able to learn away from their parents. The tester will be able to determine how your child interacts with authority figures other than the parents. The tests are also conducted within groups of children. This will show the tester how the child is able to interact with children their own age. Through testing kindergarteners, testers are able to determine the child’s emotional readiness, independence, social ability and their education level.

The following webpage is a a good resource for the type of questions your kindergartener might face: http://mama-n-teacher.hubpages.com/hub/Kindergarten-Readiness-What-to-Expect-on-Kindergarten-Tests-and-Screeners

The most important aspect of the test is that it will show the tester your child’s strengths and weaknesses. They can then come up with strategies to help your child develop into their full potential.

Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test- NNAT2

The NNAT2 is the new test being administered to the New York City Gifted and Talented program. The NNAT2 has only been administered for the admission to the NYC G&T program since Fall 2012. The pervious test was the Bracken School Readiness Assessment, which was a cognitive test featuring 308 fundamental items that children should learn from Pre-K to 2nd grade. The change in the test was designed to make the NYC G&T program more difficult to get accepted to. The abstract nature of the NNAT2 tests children’s reasoning skills better than the Bracken test did.

The NNAT2 test is the second version of the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability test, which is shorted to NNAT2. The NNAT2 is an intelligence quotient test that measures non-verbal reasoning skills. The wide spread use of the NNAT2 is because of its unbiased format and the equal opportunity for children from all social, economic, racial, ethnic and primary language groups to do well on the exam. This is because the NNAT1 is geared to test the child’s non-verbal reasoning skills via graphic or image based formats. Some of the questions focus on pattern recognition, and others focus on spatial thinking skills or non-verbal reasoning skills. A common question for the NNAT2 will feature an image with a blank square in it, and 4 squares with various patterns below it. The child must choose which of the 4 bottom squares will complete the image above.

The change from the Bracken test to the NNAT2 test has caused much stress in the parents who are trying to prepare their children for the exam. It is always best to familiarize your child with the exam they are about to take, so they can do their best. Because of its abstract nature, it can be difficult to know how to start preparing your child for the exam. However, there are many online resources you can use to prepare your child for the NNAT2 test.