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I am watching this on youtube at the moment and my head is exploding from anger, mostly around the openness with their kids about scores and testing and telling them they're smart. The parents of the two boys, in particular. And the charity spell-a-thon to show how great your kid is at spelling.
Oh yes, that is the show I was just talking about. The little girl is at the end of that episode. Georgia.
Is it bad to tell your child their score? I am about to go searching on here for a thread discussing when to test / whether to test / whether to let your kid know, etc. Know of any particularly good threads?
Well, the family on the show had two boys aged 6 and 9 (roughly). They both knew their scores. One was 170, one was 137. I think that pretty much makes up my mind on telling.
Well, the family on the show had two boys aged 6 and 9 (roughly). They both knew their scores. One was 170, one was 137. I think that pretty much makes up my mind on telling.
Ugh! I hated that. They looked SO disappointed and everyone was so awkward about the fact that their second son was, well... also gifted! I feel bad for the kid.
Well, the family on the show had two boys aged 6 and 9 (roughly). They both knew their scores. One was 170, one was 137. I think that pretty much makes up my mind on telling.
Ugh! I hated that. They looked SO disappointed and everyone was so awkward about the fact that their second son was, well... also gifted! I feel bad for the kid.
i didn't watch the clip yet but i don't tell my kids their scores because they have about the same spread (mine are 3 points closer together lol) and really, I wouldn't hear the end of the higher one tormenting the lower one about it and of course, my lower scoring child is gifted but they are totally apples and oranges!
Don't forget that IQ test scores depend in large part upon what your child had for breakfast, what the tester had for breakfast, and what the test authors had for breakfast.
The book NurtureShock describes several scientific studies which prove, despite legions of well-meaning parents and the whole self-esteem cult, that telling and praising children for being smart effectively makes them less smart because they don't learn how to work through challenges and failure.
Don't forget that IQ test scores depend in large part upon what your child had for breakfast, what the tester had for breakfast, and what the test authors had for breakfast.
just curious if anyone has anything to back this up? I hear it said all the time or at least read it on the internet. has anyone ever had more tests or partial tests done with same or different tester, at same or different session that gave very different results? I feel like i have so much data on both of my kids. the tester for DD even gave extra partial tests to support the results (which had big spread and suggested possible LD) and it was all supported by previous testing of 2 yrs earlier. ok, her score could be a few points this way or that (who cares?!?) and same with DS. The tester didn't give extended norms but was at the ceiling for the WISC-IV and that was supported by his previous testing. The tester said his number is probably higher (do i need to know?)and posters on here said the same. Do I think DD could have scored differently if the wind blew a different direction or she ate her Wheaties. Not any amount that would matter. 5 points up or down? maybe, but i seriously doubt you are going to have a 160 kid with a hidden ailment (the often mentioned tummy ache or headache) or poor breakfast choice score a 130.
Don't forget that IQ test scores depend in large part upon what your child had for breakfast, what the tester had for breakfast, and what the test authors had for breakfast.
. Do I think DD could have scored differently if the wind blew a different direction or she ate her Wheaties. Not any amount that would matter. 5 points up or down? maybe, but i seriously doubt you are going to have a 160 kid with a hidden ailment (the often mentioned tummy ache or headache) or poor breakfast choice score a 130.
It happened to us but the opposite way, we already had the high score and then DS got a 103 fever and ear infection in the middle of another test. He had a cold, but it didn't seem that bad and then suddenly it was. We only have 3 test scores, 3 different tests, 2 he aced and one he bombed. And what was interesting was how he bombed, he obviously felt so badly that he couldn't mount any interest for the easy questions and then would get difficult ones correct. His tester told us how crazed it was making her, she actually felt better that he had been so sick because the results made no sense. It was almost a 30 point difference, but not across the board, just in the sections that he has to concentrate a teensy bit more, those scores dropped astonishingly. And his in person skills in no way support the really low score. This was at 4.5 years old. He wasn't really able to say mom I feel too badly to do my best here, and we were down playing what he was doing in the first place. So anecdotally, from our perspective it's not myth.
yeah that makes sense, poor kiddo! it's a bit different than the "what they eat for breakfast" angle though. Maybe I'll ask in a new thread, I don't want to go OT here but I'd be interested to hear from others.
and of course, my lower scoring child is gifted but they are totally apples and oranges!