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The recommendations below are for the typical gifted child taking CogAT Primary Edition Level 2 in first or second grade. The test publisher recommends the use of the Multi-Level Edition A for testing high achieving children in grade 2. If you're not sure of the level of test your child will be given it is worth asking. The Primary Levels of the CogAT are administered orally and the pacing is determined by the test procter. For able 2nd graders practising listening skills may be the most important thing to do. The A level of the CogAT is much more conventional with children given test papers with questions and bubble sheets. Once the instructions have been explained they complete the questions within each subtest on their own within the time provided. If your 2nd grader will be taking the A level of the CogAT there is no need to work on listening skills.
For most able second graders Building Thinking Skills Level 1, Can You Find Me?, Math Analogies, miniLUK Advance and Think Analogies are the titles we recommend most frequently. Add other titles depending on your child's relative strengths and weaknesses in the different areas of testing, what they'd enjoy doing and what you've got time for. For each of the titles below you can get more information including a look inside at sample pages by clicking on "more info" after the brief product description.
If your child has areas of particular strength or weakness then you may wish to adjust up or down a level. If you'd like recommendations for your situation please email or phone with some information about your child and I'd be happy to make suggestions.
The CogAT is a test of reasoning skills. It’s not like a spelling or a math test where if you know the words or the facts you can get 100% and there is little advantage is learning more difficult words or practicing more difficult math problems. There is no defined curriculum for the CogAT. An average child in second grade would not be expected to be able to answer the most difficult questions on the CogAT. That's why the list below includes titles that are notionally for higher grades. A child who has prepared at this higher level is more likely to be able to answer the most difficult questions on the test.
An important thing to remember is that the CogAT Primary Levels are administered orally. The test instructions and questions will be read to the children. They will indicate their answers by shading a bubble under the picture or figure they select on the question paper. The question paper they see has no words. Many of the questions will be easy and helping your child to develop the ability to stay attentive so that they don't miss important information may be important.
Building Thinking Skills Level 1 is our number one recommendation. This is a Gr 2-3 product covering verbal and nonverbal reasoning. The software covers the same skills, with the same examples, but the presentation is very different. The choice of book or software is up to you. The presentation of the book is more like that of the test but the software is more engaging and can be used more independently. The book is portable. Many of our customers choose to purchase both.
If your child is bright they are likely to be working at a higher level than Building Thinking Skills Level 1 in at least some areas. If some of the sample activities look very simple you might like to get Level 1 in book format and Level 2 in software. This will enable them to practice and advance in those areas where they are particularly able in the software and master the skill areas they are not as confident in using the book.
Usually the numerical component of the test is less novel for children because if they're good at math they are given extension math activities in the classroom. Mathematical Reasoning D is a complete math curriculum for Grade three integrated with reasoning activities. It teaches the reasoning tested for in the CogAT but has more math than you need. If math is not your child's strong subject you may wish to purchase a grade level math title rather than an above level title. Mathematical Reasoning C is based on 2nd grade math standards.
Math Analogies presents figural and quantitative analogies in a format not used in any of the other titles. If analogical reasoning is something your child needs practice with this title could be a good choice. The presentation of some of the questions in Math Analogies is similar to that of the CogAT.
The LUK Learning System was designed in Germany to build children's cognitive skills through adaptive play. The miniLUK Advance Complete Set is included in the list of recommendations below (together with the controller used with the books which is sold separately). This series of books will be particulary helpful with the nonverbal questions on the CogAT. Unlike many of the other titles recommended here it can be done independently (your child even checks their own answers using the controller).
Think Analogies is an excellent title for learning how analogies work and practising with verbal analogy pairs. The lowest level in the Think Analogy series is recommended for children in Gr 3-5. Your second grader is unlikely to be able to use it as a workbook for independent study as it was written. Think Analogies is recommended here because it has pages at the end with simple illustrations and instructions for a game to be played with them matching analogy pairs. The art work is not dissimilar to that on the CogAT and the game provides plenty of opportunity to discuss the language your child will need to be familar with.
The test will be administered orally with instructions and questions read to the children. Mind Benders Warm Up is a collection of deductive logic puzzles. Dr. Dooriddles A3 is a collection of associative reasoning activities. These are both designed to be done orally. They are not illustrated and there will not be questions exactly like these on the test. They are very helpful, particularly for a fluent reader who may not listen to instructions as carefully as they could, for practicing listening skills and learning that it is just as important to listen when the questions are easy as when they are hard – if you don’t hear the question you can’t answer it. These are great titles to have in the car to read to your child at traffic lights to practice listening and thinking in less than perfect environments.
Can You Find Me? is recommended for children in Gr K-1 and many parents wonder if it is a mistake that it is recommended here. Many of the questions on the CogAT will be very simple for your child and they will need to listen and select the correct picture. That's exactly what this book does. We highly recommend it. Another aspect of testing to remember with smart children is a tendency to look for an answer that, while strictly speaking could be argued is correct, is not what most people would choose as the right answer. They may over analyze. Discussing the correct answer for the riddles in Can You Find Me? can help you child realize what is expected.
Think Ahead Games is another option for students who prefer software. The skill coverage is relevant but limited. Students find a path through a grid by matching game board pieces by color or size. Among the skills built are sequencing, classifying and recognizing patterns. These are all tested for in the nonverbal subtests of the CogAT.
Finally we've included two traditional test preparation titles in the list below. If your child hasn't had a lot of experience taking standardized tests it can be helpful to expose them to this prior to testing. Spectrum Test Prep is a traditional test preparation book written for parents. Spectrum Test Practice contains additional practice tests. Spectrum Test Prep has less background information (like get a good night sleep and eat breakfast) and more practice tests. Remember that these are traditional test preparation books. The questions test areas like reading comprehension and mathematics skills. They were not written for the CogAT. There are some questions that look like questions on the CogAT and others that don't. The CogAT is commonly admnistered in conjunction with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). The Spectrum titles provide excellent review of what is needed for ITBS testing.
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