Ontario-Montclair School District GATE testing and NNAT® guide.

GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. NNAT® stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, a visual reasoning assessment that uses shapes and patterns instead of reading passages, vocabulary, or math computation.

What Ontario-Montclair says about GATE

On its GATE page, OMSD says that in 2nd grade, all students are tested on the NNAT to measure reasoning and problem-solving skills and to decide whether they qualify for GATE.

The district does not publish which NNAT edition it uses, the qualifying score, the testing dates, when results go home, or how students in later grades can be referred. Ask your school about each of these.

Sample question

Try an NNAT® practice question

Look across the rows and down the columns. Choose what completes both patterns.

Listen

ABCDE

A real GateBuddy practice question.

Choose one of the five answers.

Choose an answer

Practice preview

Let your child see the format before test day.

GateBuddy introduces the visual reasoning formats used on the NNAT® through short, age-appropriate practice with clear explanations.

• Built around the four NNAT® question types
• An explanation after every answer: what changed and what stayed the same
• Short adaptive sets plus full, timed practice tests
• A live view so parents can follow along

Try free questions

Real GateBuddy practice questions, one of each NNAT® question type.

What GATE gives your child in Ontario-Montclair

OMSD serves students from transitional kindergarten (TK) through 8th grade. The district’s GATE page and magnet schools page describe these services:

1. A choice after identification. Parents of GATE-identified students can keep their child at the school of residence or apply to Edison Academy of Differentiated Learning, a district school of choice.
2. Cluster groups at the home school, grades 3 to 6. GATE students are grouped together in class and get support that the district describes as rigorous instruction, critical thinking and problem solving, social-emotional support, and chances to extend their learning.
3. Edison Academy, grades 3 to 8. Edison serves GATE-identified students in self-contained classes, meaning every student in the class is GATE-identified. Students must be GATE identified or qualify for GATE placement to attend.
4. Middle school. The district lists honors courses, high school credit, and academic enrichment for GATE students.

Because OMSD ends at 8th grade, ask your future high school district whether it uses OMSD GATE status for anything.

What 2nd graders should expect from the NNAT®

The NNAT® asks children to figure out visual rules. A child might complete a pattern, compare how one image changes into another, follow a sequence, or reason through a shape-folding puzzle.

That format can feel unfamiliar even for strong students. Calm practice helps because it teaches children what to look for: what changes, what stays the same, and which answer follows the same rule.

Elementary schools in Ontario-Montclair

In most districts, a gifted-screening window applies across the district, while each school handles practical details inside that window. For Ontario-Montclair families, your child’s campus is the best place to confirm the exact day, make-up instructions, and any reminders sent by the teacher or front office.

Ontario-Montclair elementary schools include:

• Arroyo Elementary
• Berlyn Elementary
• Bon View Elementary
• Buena Vista Arts-Integrated
• Central Language Academy
• Corona Elementary
• Del Norte Elementary
• Edison Academy
• El Camino Elementary
• Elderberry Elementary
• Euclid Language Academy
• Hawthorne Elementary
• Richard Haynes Elementary
• Howard Elementary
• Kingsley Elementary
• Lehigh Elementary
• Lincoln Elementary
• Mariposa Elementary
• Mission Elementary
• Monte Vista Elementary
• Montera Elementary
• Moreno Elementary
• Ramona Elementary
• Sultana Elementary
• Vineyard STEAM Academy
• Vista Grande Elementary

Questions Ontario-Montclair parents should ask

1. What date is our school giving the 2nd grade NNAT, and how will families be told?
2. What is the make-up plan if my child is absent on test day?
3. What score or criteria does the district use to identify GATE students?
4. When will results be sent home?
5. When is the Edison Academy application due, and how are seats filled?
6. What GATE services does our home school offer in grades 3 to 6?
7. If my child does not qualify in 2nd grade, how can a teacher or parent refer them later?

How to prepare effectively for the NNAT

Short, steady practice works better than cramming. Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising. A simple plan:

1. Learn the format with explanations. Start with the four NNAT® question types. After each question, talk through the rule: what changed, what stayed the same, and why the right answer fits. For example, “the shape turned a quarter turn” or “the pattern keeps going behind the missing window.” GateBuddy shows an explanation after every question that names the rule, and it can read instructions and explanations out loud, which helps a child who is still building reading skills or simply learns better by hearing it.
2. Practice 10 to 15 minutes a day, for as long as you can. Reasoning skills build like a muscle, a little at a time. A few weeks of practice helps, but months of short, steady sessions build much more.
3. Spend extra time on the weakest question type. Notice which type your child misses most and give it a little more practice. GateBuddy’s practice sets do this for you: each set of five leans toward the question types your child has seen least and adjusts how hard the next questions are based on recent answers. You can also pick one question type and a level (easy, medium, or hard) to work on a weak spot.
4. Take full, timed practice tests: at least two, and more is better. A full test is where your child learns pacing and how to work alone against a clock, the way test day works. Every GateBuddy plan includes eight full, timed NNAT® practice tests, so your child can take several along the way and still save the last two for the final few weeks as a dress rehearsal. While your child works on their own, GateBuddy’s Live View lets you follow along from your own phone: how many questions they have answered, the answer they just picked, and how many they have right so far. Your child gets the independence of test day, and you still see everything.