It Is All So Confusing

Dates? Times? To test or not to test? What test to take? On paper or online? Pretest help? Why bother? It is all making your head spin. Of course, worst of all you are in panic mode that you have waited too long and it too late for pretest help. Oh boy. Groan.

Working at Learning Encounters, an ERB and ISEE Workshop enrichment center located in West LA, the above are just some of the questions I hear repeatedly. Because Learning Encounters focuses exclusively on ERB and ISEE Workshops, I will focus on ERB and ISEE. What I share with you will be useful whatever you choose to do or where you choose to go.

What comes first? The chicken or the egg? In this case, definitely the egg.

ERB

The ERB was developed by the same nonprofit that developed the ISEE and is the precursor to the ISEE. It is a test given in private and some public schools once a year. It is a method of evaluating your child’s understanding of information that he or she is receiving in class. It also gives the teacher an idea of areas where your child’s knowledge can be strengthened.

When does this test take place? The month of May. What date? Up to the school. Who gives the test and where is the test given? The test is given at your child’s school, and it is given by the teachers. It can be taken in one day’s time or broken up into multiple days. Each school has its own schedule. If you are curious give them a call.

Is it important for your child to take an ERB Workshop? The questions are: Is your child not doing as well on the ERB as they should? Are they struggling to understand the questions? Do you want them to feel more confident in the area of test taking? Then the ERB workshop is an good idea……..and it is an excellent precursor to the rigorous ISEE test.

You notice that I didn’t suggest private tutoring sessions for ERB. If you are going to do the ERB the best way to go is the intimate workshop. It gives your child a taste of what the test is like and how to navigate it while in a classroom situation. Each afterschool learning facility has its own methodology. At Learning Encounters, we have found that ERB pretesting is optimal with grades 4 and 5. We have a start date around the second week in January and an end date of late March. This places the child close to the May testing date with all that they have learned fresh in their minds. Learning Encounters has been providing this service for over 23 years, and the above program seems to work very well for the children.

I think I have covered most of it, but, I may have left somethings out. Take a look at our website (www.learningencounters.com) and if you come up with questions that I haven’t covered, give us a call (310) 231-1075.

Next time I will tackle the ISEE. That is the biggie. There is a lot to cover. If you are planning to go private or specialized public school, prep is essential whether workshop or private tutor and much more.