SAGES-2 Test Prep

The Sages-2 (Screening Assessment for Elementary and Gifted Students) draws on a diverse array of linguistic, quantitative, and reasoning based questions (at multiple grade levels), so there is a lot you can do to successfully prepare your child for the test. Common skill sets such as focus, synthesizing, patterning, comprehension, analogizing, and mathematical and linguistic reasoning are all areas that the exam will touch upon. To get a start preparing for the SAGES-2, take a look at our 100 free practice questions.

Our resources available with a TestingMom.com membership can help your child feel confident in these abilities upon entering the exam. Because this is a gifted and talented test, students will be expected to successfully answer advanced questions geared towards their grade level and beyond. Even before delving into the study phase, both you and your child should initially complete a few simple steps:

Familiarize Yourself with the Overall Design of the Test

Understanding the expectations of each of the three subtests (mathematics/science, language arts/social studies, and reasoning), is a step in the right direction. Although it is difficult to predict what will be encountered on the test, developing the right approach to problem solving will help your child successfully navigate each question. We have a more detailed overview of the SAGES-2 test here.

Practice Vocabulary

Word identification and an advanced vocabulary are essential for the Language Arts/Social Studies subtest.  Many questions require fill in the blanks, the assignment of words to visuals, and the ability to reference dictionary definitions. There are many activities you can do with your child to improve this skill:

• Keep reading with your child. If your child is beginning to read independently then have them read to you! This is an excellent way to expand vocabulary while testing them on any words that they encounter/do not know.
• Make a game out of your surroundings. Talk to them about what they see outside or in the household. This activity helps them to work on sentence structure while integrating different aspects of their vocabulary
• Flashcards are an excellent way to test and reinforce vocabulary. Additionally, TestingMom.com offers an assortment of interactive practice and games that your student can practice with, such as Digital Tutor, which can measure and track your child’s progress over time.

Practice Analogies and Problem Solving

Have your child practice looking at relationships between colors, figures, and shapes. Sequential reasoning, or having an understanding of what step may “come next” is at the core of the reasoning section. For example, in a traditional analogy question, the child will encounter an analogy matrix. For example, they will see a chair next to an adult man in the top row, and a baby with an empty box next to it in the bottom row. Out of their four options to put in the bottom row, they would assume that if an adult sits in a chair, then a baby would sit in a highchair. By looking at the previous relationship, they could decipher a parallel relationship between the baby and highchair.

Practice Familiarity with Numbers, Science, and More

For the Mathematics/Science section of the SAGES-2, it is especially important to practice foundational math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (for the older students). Your child should try and gain fluency in mathematical language by learning terms such as “decreased by”, “less/more than”, “between”, “product of”, or “increased/decreased by” (just to name a few).

Additionally, fractions, measurement, and patterning/sequencing  finding what comes next or what doesn’t belong) should all be reinforced for the exam. For the science section, it is helpful for the child to gain knowledge in areas such as temperature, scientific instruments, and the grouping or categorization of different animals, plants, and foods. You may find that by taking your child outside and having them experience their surroundings, he or she can absorb the different properties of the environment. This will be especially pertinent to the younger grade levels. For example, if it is cold outside ask your child what happens to water when the temperature goes down.

See if TestingMom.com supports your child’s test by your school district. If you don't see your child's school district listed, check with us! We have practice for other tests as well.