COACHING OUR CHILDREN TO SUCCESS
Est. 2002
Manhattan Edge Education
East 82 Street
New York, NY 10028
ph: 1-888-407-8688
admin
We Follow our motivational Strategy:
We believe we are all capable when given the tools for success
We are inherently motivated to succeed but learn to be unmotivated through failures
Success requires risk taking; we need to find the safe harbors, physically and psychologically
We all want to belong, be competent and hold some influence over our lives - Success comes when these basic needs are met
We have found PLAY to be the best motivator
"Play Prep" sessions can be ordered by contacting us to make sure we can accommodate your schedule. The recommendation is 15 sessions to cover the syllabus with games interspersed between the lesson material - this includes a review of weaknesses and practice tests. Each session lasts about 40-50 minutes. 12 sessions or more ordered as a package start at $80./each.
Play Prep administered by the NYS certified gifted and talented teacher or OLSAT teacher starts at $135/session when ordered for 12 or more sessions.
We offer an assessment with a psychologist or teacher that has been exposed to the testing to uncover weaknesses. This will include a practice test administered in a test-like setting. You will then receive a detailed evaluation itemizing each skill for the particular exam your child will be attempting with a determination of how your child compares to the peer/age group.This includes a 40 part questionnaire that details the physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills a child attending kindergarten should master. This service starts at $200.
Are you curious to know if your child will be able to sit through the testing? Want to be prepared for surprises? Do you want to make the testing experience a positive one for your child?
Email us at info@tutorsnewyork.com to have your child meet with one of our teachers for a simulated test. We will duplicate the rigors of the test but end it on a positive fun note so your child will expect the same on testing day.
testing fee determined by day and time
ERB / Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) is an intelligence test designed for children ages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 3 months. The current revision is called the WPPSI–III. Harcourt claims it provides subtest and composite scores that represent intellectual functioning in verbal and performance cognitive domains, as well as providing a composite score that represents a child’s general intellectual ability (i.e., Full Scale IQ).
Some studies show that intelligence tests such as the WPPSI-III, especially for pre-K level, are unreliable and their results vary wildly with various factors such as retesting, practice (familiarization), test administrator, time and place. There are claims that some commercially available material improve results simply by eliminating negative factors through familiarization which in turn puts children at a comfortable frame of mind.
There are 14 segments
1. Block Design – child uses one- or two-color blocks to re-create a design within a specified time limit.
2. Matrix Reasoning – child looks at an incomplete matrix and selects the missing portion from 4 or 5 response options.
3. Information (checks enrichment base) – child responds to a question by choosing a picture from four response options or the child answers questions that address a broad range of general knowledge topics.
4. Vocabulary – child names pictures or gives definitions for words that the examiner reads aloud from the stimulus book.
5. Picture Concepts – child is presented with two or three rows of pictures and chooses one picture from each row to form a group with a common characteristic.
6. Symbol Search – child scans a search group and indicates whether a target symbol matches any of the symbols in the search group.
7. Word Reasoning – child identifies the common concept being described in a series of increasingly specific clues.
8. Coding – child copies symbols paired with simple geometric shapes. Using a key, the child draws each symbol in its corresponding shape.
9. Comprehension (checks enrichment base) – child answers questions based on his or her understanding of general principles and social situations.
10. Picture Completion – child views a picture and then points to or names the missing part.
11. Similarities – child is read an incomplete sentence containing two concepts that share a common characteristic. The child is asked to complete the sentence by providing a response that reflects the shared characteristic.
12. Receptive Vocabulary – child looks at a group of pictures and points to the one the examiner names aloud.
13. Object Assembly – child is presented with the pieces of a puzzle in a standard arrangement and fits the pieces together to form a meaningful whole within 90 seconds.
14. Picture Naming – child names pictures from the stimulus book.
Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), published by Pearson Education, Inc., is a test of abstract thinking and reasoning ability of children pre-K to 18. The Otis-Lennon is a group-administered (except preschool), multiple choice exam, which measures verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning ability. It is organized into five main sections of verbal comprehension, verbal reasoning, pictorial reasoning, figural reasoning, and quantitative reasoning.The test yields verbal and nonverbal scores, from which a total score is derived, called a School Ability Index (SAI). The SAI is a normalized standard score with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 16. Scoring is measured against peers in age groups of 3-month bands. For example, children born October 4 through December 4 are compared with each other and children born January 4 through March 4 with each other and so on. With the exception of pre-K, the test is administered in groups.
Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA) is a cognitive test designed for children, pre-K through second grade. It assesses six basic skills:
Raw scores can be converted to percentile rank scores and standard scores. The BSRA can be used with children as young as 2.6 years of age.
Since the inception of the Stanford-Binet, it has been revised several times. Currently, the test is in its fifth edition, which is called the Stanford-Binet 5. Low variation on individuals tested more than once indicates the test has high reliability, although its validity is debated. The test has been revised to analyze an individual’s responses in four content areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract/visual reasoning, and short term memory. A general composite score is obtained. The test is scored by comparing how the test taker performs compared with other people of the same age. The five factors assessed in the test are: Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory. Each factor is assessed in two separate domains, verbal and nonverbal, in order to accurately assess individuals with deafness, limited English, or communication disorders. Examples of test items include verbal analogies to test Verbal Fluid Reasoning and picture absurdities (last year’s included a picture of a man sawing a limb that he is sitting on, off a tree) to test Nonverbal Knowledge. The test makers state that the Stanford-Binet 5 accurately assesses low-functioning, normal intelligence, and high-functioning individuals.
Chelsea, teaching English in China, Fall 2007

Call or email us today, if you have questions or to reserve your place in our program. The more details you add to your question (name, birth date and your location), the quicker our answer!
Please note that due to overwhelming demand we will no longer accept children for ERB prep that have taken the test once before. Nor can we accept children for ERB prep that have used the block design blocks purchased from other resources - we advise against it, this is not a productive use of the child's time and leads to disqualification.
FAQs
Why do you call it "Play Prep"?
Unlike the other groups trying to copy our success, we use game play to keep it interesting and stay away from stressful sessions that will work against testing success - we are the original and the only one with this format.
Why Should I Prep?
You want your child to be as comfortable as possible when meeting with a stranger to answer the questions on these tests. You also want them to understand what is being asked on each of the different sections of the test. We focus on game playing with work in between games to lengthen the attention span. The games are designed to improve working memory and delay gratification; research shows these skills to be two of the most important factors in school success.
Why Use Manhattan Edge?
What sets us apart? We are part of the gifted and talented community and have been since 2001. That is how long we have really been in this game. Our competition is just starting. We constantly strive to be the best and know from independent research and interviewing the teachers of our competitors that no one has our experience in this type of testing. They do not have children in the G&T programs like we do nor do they have the network of teachers at the G&T schools that we have been working with since 2001. We saw these tests many years ago (ERB, SB5) and immediately started gathering materials to mimic the skills and help familiarize our children. Through job interviews with the people who give these tests, we are constantly updated on the parts that children are having difficulty with.
Can I buy Materials and do it myself?
You could, but research shows a methodical and disciplined approach to coaching children is best. One that builds on each particular skill at the right time is important for metacognition; when and where to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving. We believe you, as a parent, are too attached to the outcome to present whatever materials you can find in a fun and interesting format. Frustration evolves easily in this scenario. We know which materials work best through years of practice. Your child will be much more open when presented with a challenge from a stranger than a parent.
Lastly, buying workbooks only scratches the surface and does not stay with the child or build real skills. Would you try to learn Spanish by taking sample tests?
What if the Test Changes from Last Year?
It will not matter if the format of the test is changed. Our methods will still give your child the best opportunity for success. We work only on the skills needed to master the testing - not the actual questions. Workbooks will become obsolete year after year but our proven style targets the skills needed for school success.
What if My Child Does Not Score 99%?
There will still be a great life and lots of opportunities ahead for them. Even if your child does not score 99%, the skills they learn through our programs will put them in the top 10% of their peers. Our past clients are now moving into the best Middle Schools and Specialized High Schools. This path to success does work.
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."
- Mark Twain
Play Prep works on the following:
All in a fun and playful environment. Our goal is to establish and motivate a life long love of learning. We also incorporate Singapore Math into this enrichment program to help develop your children's math abilities.
Manhattan Edge Education
East 82 Street
New York, NY 10028
ph: 1-888-407-8688
admin