Our Lady of Grace School kindergarten student testing is a combination of the Brigance and Giselle Screening and Assessment Programs. Students are not expected to know the answer to every question, nor do we believe that any single assessment can tell the full story of your student. The goal of testing is to determine if a student is developmentally, academically, and socially ready to be successful in the environment at OLG School.
Brigance- Early Childhood
The teacher uses observation, interviews, and child performance to pinpoint understanding in the domains tied to early development and kindergarten readiness. Test content aligns to the Common Core and many state-specific learning standards to equip educators with familiar information to fit their existing framework.
Giselle- Screening & Assessment
This assessment helps the teacher to understand characteristics of child behavior in relation to typical growth patterns between 2½ to 9 years of age. It uses direct observation to evaluate a child’s cognitive, language, motor and social-emotional responses.
What Will My Student Be Asked?
Potential Kindergarteners are assessed in a relaxed interview-style environment. They play games, talk to, and answer questions from our Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Dalton.
Personal Data
Students will be asked for personal information such as their name, age, and birthday.
Body Parts
Students will play "Simon Says" and identify body parts such as heels, shoulders, and wrists. This is also a great indicator of direction-following ability.
Gross Motor Skills
Students will be asked to perform basic movements involving engagement of the large muscles of the arms, legs, and torso.
Color Recognition
Students will name and identify and name some colors.
Visual Motor Skills
Students will copy some pictures of basic shapes, drawing them on their own piece of paper.
Draw a Person
Students will draw a person that includes multiple body parts.
Print Personal Data
Students will be asked to write their first and last name.
Rote Counting
Students will be asked to begin at 1 and count up from there.
Numeral Comprehension
Students will be asked to match quantities with numerals.
Number Readiness
Students will join groups of objects to create a specific number of items.
Read Letters
Students are asked to recognize and name upper case and lower case letters.
Syntax and Fluency
The teacher assesses if the student's speech is understandable and if they speak in complete sentences.
Comprehension Questions
Students are asked critical thinking questions.
Sounds
Students are asked to identify beginning, middle, and end sounds of basic sight words.
Letter and Number Recognition
Students are asked if they can recognize common numbers and letters.
