Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Explore Testing - Good for a Young 3rd Grader?

Hi! I am contemplating EXPLORE for DD8, to see where she is at and to figure out whether she is in need of more challenge. Honestly, the only reason that I am on the fence about her taking it is maternal guilt, because she has just been through a battery of tests at school for their G&T. So many tests! Is the EXPLORE a good test for a 3rd grader or should I wait a year or two(especially one who is young for the grade/summer b-day)? Please share your experiences. TIA!

I have the same question for DS7 (grade 2) for when he is in grade 3, (and some more questions).

It's generally for 8th graders, right?

Does it make sense to take it for a (grade 3) kid who is at grade 8 level in one subject (maths), but much lower (say, grade 4 level) in the other subjects?

If your school gives the EXPLORE to its 8th graders, and allows younger students to take it, does it make more sense to take it at the school, or is it better to take it through a "Talent Search"? (Would scores from one be more "useful" than from the other?)

Which "Talent Searches" offer it to 3rd graders?

When is it held (once a year or more often)?

We'd have to take it through a Talent Search - DD's school has its own testing. Unfortunately, most of it is not "out of level," although they do MAP tests. For MAP, although she is scored 99% nationally normed for reading and math, DD's reading scores are higher on MAP tests, than she is in math. Her most recent reading score would be a 98th% for 4th grade, 97th for 5th, 93rd% for 6th grade, and a 74th% for 11th grade. Her math scores, though, would only be a 95th% for 4th, and an 81st% for 5th, so she has a somewhat uneven set of skills. I am not sure, then, whether that makes her a great candidate for the EXPLORE test.

My DS took it as a very young 3rd grader, since he had skipped a grade. It was his first timed test, and his first hard test. He didn't finish any of the categories. But the information from the talent search was an eye-opener. If your child has never taken an above-level test, you really have very little idea how much they know. And the talent search info is great, because you get to see how your child does compared with 8th graders and also compared with other talent search kids in your child's grade. NUMATS provided info based on the results too, e.g., what sorts of classes your child will be ready for in the next few years. It is a relatively inexpensive way to get pretty good info on your kid.

It doesn't make any difference if your kiddo is stronger in one area or another if your goal is just gaining information. The other good thing about the talent search (as least NUMATS) is that if your child takes the test in subsequent years, you will be able to compare those results over time.

If your child has test anxiety, then I would think twice about this. But if she doesn't mind taking tests, I don't think it can hurt.

ETA -- if she is testing 99% for grade level in math and reading, I think she is exactly the type of student the EXPLORE has in mind.

Two of my three took the EXPLORE test in 3rd grade. Both have summer birthdays (one late July, the other late August). We never used it to consider if they needed more of a challenge - they were both in private school when they took it, so no gifted program (but there are quite a few kids in that school that are very bright/gifted).

It was interesting to see the results. None of mine are PG. My youngest has not been tested for "giftedness", but she scored a bit higher on EXPLORE than my eldest did (and she has been IDed). My youngest's scores would identify her as gifted in every subject area in Ohio (they accept EXPLORE testing for IDing gifted), and her math score was DYS level.

We haven't really done anything with the scores. Doesn't matter for eldest now as she is in college, but haven't mentioned it to DD9's teacher (DD9 now in public school). We had a conference with DD9's teacher and she recognizes that the kid is bright - but the school won't do anything with outside testing. That and there are truly a lot of bright kids in this district. Elementary school isn't a challenge for most kids, but the district does have some good options for kids when they get to HS.

I'm curious if there are any negative repercussions for taking the test too early. For example, does anyone have access to these scores other than the parents? Do lower scores get accessed down the road when it's time to apply for college? If not- I can't imagine that there's any reason not to have a child take it in 3rd grade. If it doesn't go well, couldn't the child take it again the next year?

Obviously, bombing the ACT or SAT has a negative impact on a student, since those scores are reported to schools. But does this hold true also for the Explore?

Excellent question. Who has access to the results? Does anyone know?

No one sees the scores. My eldest took the ACT eight years later and the EXPLORE scores didn't show up. SAT scores from prior to 9th grade are wiped off of your record in June or July (end of school year) unless you request to keep them. ACT scores still show up on your account but I don't think colleges want to see testing prior to 9th. I certainly don't think that anyone wants to see 3rd grade scores. Colleges typically don't want to see anything prior to HS - they don't want to know about DD16's Mathcounts trophy in 7th grade.

When you sign up for the test (at least with NUMATS), you can choose to list the school your child attends or not. If you list the school, the scores will be sent to whoever is the contact person with NUMATS. We wanted to share the info with our son's school, and so listed his school, but the results never made it to anyone at the school, at least they didn't make it to his teacher. (We shared the info later.) No one else sees the scores unless you share them.

FYI - Some middle schools around me use Explore scores for part of their admissions process, though I'm sure they are most interested in a kid's 5th grade scores.

What's wrong with a university seeing that your 3rd grader performed at, say, a 7th grade level? Surely they won't think they're still at that level by the time they're applying for college. I don't understand how it could possibly hurt.