Learning Development Strategies for Home

Understanding Grade 1 Testing and Screening

Universal Testing and Screening for PGCPS TAG Services

All Grade 1 PGCPS students are tested with the Otis Lennon School Abilities Test (OLSAT) and the iReady Reading Assessment each fall as part of the Talented and Gifted (TAG) screening process, which allows us to recognize exceptional ability and provide opportunities for advanced learning. 

To help ensure that children perform to the best of their ability on these assessments, here are some strategies that can be implemented at home: 

Read Together Regularly 

• Discuss what you are reading - ask about favorite parts, characters, etc. 
• Make predictions about what might happen next. 
• Ask your child questions about what's happening in the story when reading together. If something doesn't make sense, figure it out together.
• Help your child notice details in the text and in the illustrations.  
• Explore new words from the story and talk about what they mean. 

Foster Critical Thinking

• Encourage them to question things and express opinions. 
• Ask them “why” they think what they do. Have them support their ideas. 
• Help them understand how things go together. Note relationships among things and ideas.  Help them look for similarities and differences in things.  
• Utilize brainteasers, wordplay, logic problems, picture puzzles, riddles, strategy games, and such. 
• a brainteaser as a fun and challenging puzzle that exercises your brain. It's like a game or activity that makes you think really hard to find the answer. These puzzles come in many different types, like riddles where you have to figure out the answer to a tricky question, or puzzles where you have to use logic to solve a problem.
• Play “Which One Doesn’t Belong” games.  
• Play games that lay a foundation for conceptual understanding of math ideas. 
• For example, board games like "Snakes and Ladders" can teach children about counting, number recognition, and simple addition and subtraction as they move their game pieces along the board. Card games such as "War" or "Go Fish" can help reinforce number recognition and basic arithmetic skills.

Foster Spatial Reasoning

• Encourage puzzles and games that help develop spatial thinking. (e.g. chess, checkers, provide blocks, LEGO sets, or other building toys that allow your child to create three dimensional structures. 
• Encourage artistic expression through drawing, coloring, and painting. Discuss perspective and spatial relationships. 
• Use descriptive spatial vocabulary regularly - across, between, under, above, near, beside, next, etc. 

  Foster Problem-Solving Skills 

• Allow them to figure things out, become problem-solvers; the best answer to “Why?” is “let’s find out! 
• Read stories about people who are problem solvers. 
• Don’t rescue…reframe. Help clarify the problem and brainstorm solutions.  Encourage them to look for “cues” and “clues”; take another look. 
• Honor tenacity, effort, and perseverance. 

Foster Creative Thinking (which goes hand in hand with critical thinking)

• Encourage “outside the box” thinking - think beyond obvious answers. 
• Ask open-ended questions that require them to think critically and consider multiple perspectives. 
• Ask “What if…?” questions that stretch thinking (e.g. What if there were no trees?) Foster your child's curiosity by providing opportunities to explore new places, try different foods, or learn about various cultures. 

Provide Positive Feedback

• Offer praise and positive reinforcement for their efforts, regardless of the outcome. A supportive and encouraging environment at home can boost your child's confidence and motivation. 

The TAG screening process is a multiple criteria process that includes the OLSAT Cognitive Ability Assessment score, iReady Reading score, Checklist of Gifted Characteristics, and report card grades.  Cognitive ability test data is valid for 2 years and retesting is not completed when students have valid cognitive ability test data on file.

The school staff will provide further details regarding actual testing dates.  For further information, please contact the TAG Coordinator at your school.