Customer Reviews

NJ ASK Grade 3 Mathematics (REA) - Ready, Set, Go! (New Jersey ASK Test Preparation)

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We purchased this book (along with the Language version) for our third-grade daughter. While the tests are fairly rudimentary for any good student, our school uses the test results (along with grades and teacher recommendations) for placements (read: the best scoring students get the best teachers and classmates). Therefore, we felt it important -- and her teachers encouraged her -- to practice. Yes, we are aware of the dangers in focusing on the test rather than the education itself, but the downstream impact of a poor placement can be a severe impact on her overall academic experience.

The book is broken into Practice chapters (with sample questions and answers on the same page) and two Practice tests (with answers at the rear of the book). The chapters are, as follows:

1: Kinds of Numbers (Even/Odd; Whole Numbers/Decimals; Fractions)
2: Working with Numbers (Addition; Subtraction; Division; Multiplication)
3: Estimation
4: All About Lines and Shapes (Two/Three Dimensional; Symmetry; Congruence)
5: More About Shapes (Movement; Grids)
6: Measuring (Length; Weight; Capacity; Perimeter/Area; Metric System)
7: Understanding Patterns (Function Machine; Number Sentences)
8: Data Analysis and Probability (Bar Graphs; Pictographs; Probability)
9: More About Analyzing Data (Venn/Tree Diagrams; Combinations)

Each chapter begins with 2-4 pages of explanation and the summarizes with practice questions. The explanations are simple and clear; the spacing on the page keeps it from looking daunting; and our 9-year-old found they were very much in synch with her curriculum (which told me that the school is very much focused on No Child Left Behind, but that's another story). I found it troubling that the practice answers were on the same page as the questions. Our daughter (in a rare moment of total honesty) said she felt guilty because without even attempting to cheat, her eyes often picked up some of the answers.

The practice tests were clear (and easy -- our Kindergartner was able to answer a number of the questions, but again, that's a state and national debate question, not a criticism of this book). The answers were located (properly) at the rear, but there was one fundamental flaw: the book does not say how much time to allow for each of the practice sessions. We know the state will allow 60 minutes for a Math session on one day, but the book's practice tests are 28 questions each. Our 9-year-old finished in 15 minutes. She is smart and a good student, but am I really to believe she's going to require only 25% of the allotted time (she scored 100% on this practice test). I am certain different guidelines should have been given, but they are absent from this book. I want our daughter to go in with confidence, but I don't want her to be so dismissive of the test that she fights us on bedtime the night before the test. This may seem like a small issue to some readers of this review, but I found it to be a major flaw. I don't know if she is overprepared for this test (and should spend more time on other activities) or not. It made me want my money back.

I'll close with our daughter's teacher's advice: the most important factors contributing to success in standardized tests are confidence; a good night's rest prior to test days; and a good breakfast. If you follow her advice, and your child is confident, you don't need this book. If you child needs a boost so they go into the process feeling good about their knowledge, buy the book. Or, better yet, explore Barron's versions of the same. I'm off to the book store to do that same thing right now.