Welcome Concerned Dad VicB - How did you find us? Anyway we are glad you are here!
I think testing is a very good idea - here's the bottom line for testing a 4.10 year old:
At age 6 the WISC IV becomes an option,which is the most common useable test for a gifted, possibly gifted+ kid.
SB-5 is an option right now if you can find someone to do it for you.
I think testing is a great idea if you don't end up paying out of pocket for a WPPSI-III. It's fine if the school wants to do one, but I would rather wait than pay for one - the ceilings are just too low for an advanced 4.10 year old. Public schools will sometime do testing 'for free' if you can get the preschool teacher to call a friend in the public school and explain that he needs it.
Get a copy of the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual and study it. 'Early Entrance' is a beautiful thing for an academically advanced child who gravitates towards older children. Being with the older kids tends to help him get enough 'healthy frustration' that he has an opportunity to become more skilled at facing it. Waiting for the rest of the kindy kids to catch up just exposes him to the unhealthy kind of frustration that convinces him that he is an out of control kid. What's the difference? With healthy frustration one is facing a task that can be overcome. With unhealthy frustration, one is facing a situation that is just wrong for them and can not be solved. ((Remember the rats in the maze and the electroshock? OK now I am definitely getting carried away!))
I totally get that you don't want a label stuck on your kid. Given what you say about him in the post, I think that there is a very real possibility that he isn't developing on the normal path enough that the best way to camouflage him an make him get as normal a childhood as possible is to slide him in with the older kids next year so everyone can go back to pretending he's 'just bright' ASAP. With a little luck that will work just fine.
Does the bi-lingual preschool have a 1st grade program, or does he have to change schools for 1st grade anyway?
you may also want to call Mika Gustavson, LMFT Campbell CA 308 375 9635
Smiles,
Grinity
