The Ruf level's have been a topic of hot debate on this board. I actually have great respect for Dr. Ruf and what she's done for the GT world. She is actually local to us and I'd love to take my son to her.
However, the Ruf levels would not have worked for my son as a preschooler. I think the thing to keep in mind is that her sample size is small and is based on the kind of child she would see in her practice. Probably a relatively affluent and very involved parent base. We actually fit that profile, but my son was a very active preschooler who pursued his own interests. I read with him and played with him and he never seemed to be overly interested in "academics" - although we had many math and science discussions. He also wasn't very open with knowledge he had. He certainly did not hit any of her reading milestones. He also enjoying playing hard outside and running like a maniac. It would actually be interesting to know a bit about the families and kids that she based her levels on. At age 7, my son leans to level 4 as far as learning and ability and reads like a kid who has been reading since 3. But he definitely enjoys age peers (which are actually probably mostly MG kids). So like anything in life - YMMV (your mileage may vary!).
I do think the book is worth a read though regardless. I think it's good to keep in mind those levels are one construct of many to make sense of this craziness. Maybe reserve it at the library if you can?
