Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment At what age can you test for giftedness

My daughter will be 2yr 8 months next week. I see some things with her that seem pretty advanced but I have no clue if it gifted. I would like to find out so I can select the appropriate preschool for her and provide the right environment. Is she too young for identification and testing though?

There are people who will take your money, if you want to have her tested - but honestly, there's no point (and testing at this age is pretty unreliable anyway, and if you wanted figures to use for school or for DYS application you'd need to retest when she was older anyway). You know your daughter - go and visit the possible preschools and think about how she'd be there, and choose a place where you can imagine her being happy.

If you have a look around the archives you'll find many threads on preschool environments. What quite a few of us have found is that the *less* the place does that is academic, the better - if they aren't doing letters at all, or do them for two minutes a day, it doesn't matter if your child has known them for years and the others are just learning them, whereas if they regularly have children sitting down doing school-type work, disparities can cause more problems.

Thanks. You confirmed my thoughts. I will look into the other posts you mention.

Agreed - Observation is the best proof. Another thing to look for is mixed age group situations where your child is on the younger side.

A playbased or non-academic style of school is often best. Not that they kids don't enjoy academic challenge so much as this age group is way too young to be asked to sit quietly while being 'taught' material far below their 'readiness-to-learn' level.

I wouldn't walk in saying 'my kid is advanced, what can you do for her' - rather I'd bring in her favorite poor to read and discuss, a copy any of her other academic worksheets if she does such things, and a few stories about what she does with her favorite friends and ask them - is this unusual for an X year old? What have you done with kids who are like this?

A good book for a parent at your stage is Deb Ruf's '5 Level's of Giftedness.' It can help you keep track of those developmental milestones and give you an idea of how 'unusal' you child actually is.

Welcome,
Grinity

Thanks, Grinity. I am looking into several half day Montessori preschools for the same reasons you and Colinsmom mention. I am not sure if you suspect your kid is advanced at this age, do you just let it be or do you actually do something about it. I am a very laid back person that does not believe in pushing her kid too hard. At the same time, I worry if there is a window of opportunity/ age when the kids brain is really growing and I am doing a disservice by not providing the right stimulation. Thanks for your guidance.

I don't think you have to worry about pushing a kid under that age of 5. There are a few kids who get super cranky if not pushed, and those you have to push. If you follow your daughter's interests and delight in 'geeking out' together you will provide all the 'right stimulation' she needs.

What you have to worry about is 'teaching' a child that
a) school is for being bored/acting dumbed down/causing trouble
or
b) other kids are not 'real' but instead incomprehensible automatons without souls

Montessori's seem to be either 'heaven or hell' for unusually gifted kids. Some are run by wise observers who are ready to take an unusual path with an unusual kid. Some are run by insecure folks who automatically resort to 'the book says a child MUST be good at X before we can give her the Y materials' or 'all kids who are X age can function between these limits.'

The best is to find a place where the kids seem to be appreciated for who they are, and there seem to be one or two kids who you think your kid would find 'really cool.'

Preschools can be a great opportunity to expand your social network as well as good placed for your child to learn to be in a group. The vast majority of kids can be put in a classroom with agemates and learn valuable social skills at age 3, but if the main reason to put an unusually gifted kid into a classroom setting is to learn to get along with peer, make sure that there are peer in that room.

Lately we act like Preschool is a nescessity. I'm in favor of Preschool if it's important for your family to get some time off, or if there are opportunities there for the individual child, but I don't think it should be a knee-jerk decision.

Sigh,
Grinity

I'm a poster who has either mentioned or eluded to the fact that my daughter had a terrible time in an academic-based preschool, especially the writing. It caused "confusion and delay" especially the writing because I didn't realize they were going to be doing the writing sheets (I didn't even learn to write my name until age 6 in 1st grade and turned out fine academically!) For a while I didn't know if she just continued to HATE writing because of the too-early intro or if she had some sort of issue. She still hates writing, both the act of forming letters and just creating a piece.

And anyway the worst part was probably just the intensity or the competitiveness of a preschool environment like that. IMHO children that age aren't neurologically designed to learn that way...they're supposed to be playing playing playing and asking questions.

When I switched her to a fewer-hours per week play-based preschool where they didn't even look at letters (the teacher did read nursery rhymes and they talked about it, they painted and played with sand) my DD was much happier. It was full inclusion also, which she enjoyed alot because she loved to talk about what was very different about all the different kids, even her differences and challenges.

Also, something to remember, that society produced people like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie...on and on...before formal preschool. If anything too much structure interferes with the appropriate mind development of children rather than enhancing it! Stimulation has always been there for a new little life before computers, DVDs, TV, workbooks...

bzylzy, thanks so much for sharing your experience. I so agree with you on preschool not being a necessity, especially one that teaches kids to "prepare" for kindergarten. I find it downright ridiculuos. I thought kindergarten was where you were prepared. Anyway, I work fulltime (i hate it but have no choice) and we have a nanny. However, my daughter does not get much opportunity to be with other kids. Hence the decision to send her to preschool. Thank you.

If I worked full time when my DD was that age, I would have had my heart set on a nanny with moving up to the pre-K at 3 or 4 depending upon what the other kids in the area do. But play-based, as I found out, is more natural. If your child like music at home, make sure there is music in the program. One Montessori I went to was sooooooo quiet, and they had no music at all, all day long...no way!