Kriston - we cross-posted lol! I answered some of your questions I think regarding testing. I did after a 2month search find someone who specializes in GT kids. DS was given the WISCIV. The results were intersting and not at all what I expected. He came out very high in verbal (DYS numbers) and relatively low in PRI (127 or 129 depending on which of the numbers from the psych I believe) but I always had him pegged as a visual, mathy kid. But I read that algebraic thinking was more tied to VCI and geometric thinking to PRI and that makes sense w/ him. I have introduced him to very simple algebra and he got it instantly. I think he's the kid in the advanced math books who is good at figuring out the problem but slower w/ the computation (mostly b/c I think it takes energy and he's getting out of the habit of thinking). The psych hand scored the test and gave me those numbers to take home. He then computer scored it and got different numbers. I'm waiting for him to sort it out - that was over a month ago.
Anyhow, interesting comments from the testing. DS missed easy questions but would then perk up when the ? got harder and get those correct. He missed some easy block design puzzles but got the hardest problem right that psych said middle-high schoolers have trouble with. He got tired towards the end of testing and psych said he would have scored higher if he had split the testing into 2 sessions. Plus DS had soccer practice beforehand.
I'd like for him to take the WJIII to get a handle on LOG as Dottie has recommended but it will have to wait until summer as I'd like it to be done in more than one session. But I feel like, at this point, it might not be reflective of him since he's been held back by the school.
I'm reading this fascinating book by Dr. Ratey titled "Spark: the link between exercise and the brain." He talks about the school that implemented a radical PE program before school and how test scores have soared. Similar programs introduced at other schools, even low SES schools have had similar results. He then talks about the science of the brain. THe exercise induces BDNF which makes new neurons grow as well as strengthens connections in old neurons. Based on data in rodents, exercise primes the brain for learning. I thought - there you go, physiological explanation for dumbing down our kids.
"Gym class provides the brain with the right tools to learn, and the stimulation in the kids' classes encourages those newly developing cells to plug into the network..." I thought but what if the kid is not being stimulated in the classroom? Well, those neuronal connections are lost, those new neurons are lost. Not to mention that kids in our district only get PE 2x/week.
Anyhow, I don't want to go to far off topic. IF someone is interested in this book, I can break it out as a new topic.
