Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Test results and related questions

We recently had our DS, age 8, retested (last tested at age 4) and here are the results:

WISC-IV
VCI - xx
PRI - xx
WMI - xx
PSI - xx
FSIQ - xx
GAI - xx

Extended norms were used on the VCI portion of the test.

We also had achievement testing done (now I don't recall which test - maybe the WIAT??).

Math Fluency Composite - xx
Mathematics Composite - xx(hit the ceiling on part of this test)
Written Expression Composite - xx
Reading Comprehension Composite - xx
Basic Reading Composite - xx
Total Reading Composite - xx

I guess I was surprised that is verbal was so strong, yet his math really stood out in the achievement testing. Is this normal? What level of gifed would this child be classified as? There are such variations in the scores that it confuses me a little. We are meeting with the school this week to request a two grade acceleration in math. Is there anything else I should be doing? School is very "easy" for him, even in his self-contained gifted program. I guess my head is spinning a little on what I should be doing (or not doing) for him.

I suppose that I should add that he is 8 and in the 3rd grade.

I think those are DYS qualifying scores - so applying to DYS might be helpful?

http://www.davidsongifted.org/young...holars___Qualification_Criteria_384.aspx

Assuming that this was the WIAT-III (which it does look like), all of the composites were in the range predicted by his VCI, except for the Mathematics Composite, which was significantly higher than expectations. With the exception of math, the other scores are relatively unremarkable, in terms of variation. Basic reading is very slightly lower than predicted (though still above average), and math fluency is slightly higher than predicted. Did he hit the ceiling on the computation (numerical operations) portion of the math section, or the problem solving subtest? And was he comparably strong in both?

Those are great scores! I wonder though if it's possible he might have some small vision issue? The reason I ask that is the combination of his relatively "low" scores (nothing is really low, just relative to each other) - Reading Composite, Processing Speed and PRI - *note* - that PRI is actually really high, but it's low relative to his Math Achievement subtests. Here's why I wonder about vision: there are subtests under both Processing Speed and PRI that can be impacted by vision issues - Symbol Search in particular under Processing Speed, and I can't remember which subtest at the moment under PRI, but I have a visually-challenged dd who had her vision issue discovered through dips in those two particular subtests. The vision issues for my dd impacted her reading achievement.

Anyway, just a thought that might be worth checking - look at the subtest scores under PRI and PSI and see if you see any large variations.

Best wishes,

polarbear

That is an interesting thought on the vision issue. What would be considered a large variation in the PRI and PSI scores? His symbol search was pretty low compared to the other scores. The BD score pulled down the PRI score. I was actually very surprised on how low his reading composite was. I would have guessed this was actually one of his strengths. He was a self taught reader at age 2 and showed up to kindergarten reading chapter books. The pseudo word decoding was the low part of the reading composite. I had his vision checked a couple of years ago, but I don't know if this would have caught the type of vision issue you are referring to?

He also had a splint on his finger during the test, which was making it hard for him to hold the pencil. I am not sure if this would have impacted any of the lower scores. I am still waiting on the full report.

His math problem solving was 154 and the numerical operations was 160. His math fluency on multiplication was 149. The other two math fluency scores were lower.

I am just hoping that the school will work with us, especially in math. I am still waiting for them to schedule the meeting I requested. I probably need to lower my expectations.

If BD pulled down the PRI, then speed probably is a factor. A 23 pt difference is definitely a significant difference between PRI and PSI. The splint on his finger, if it affected how he holds a pencil, almost certainly affected the PSI scores, and the BD score. That suggests that his true PRI is probably closer to his VCI.

I should point out that I ran the tables for his achievement composites based on his VCI, which is the highest estimate of his ability, and based on that, his Total Reading and Reading Comprehension are exactly on target (keeping in mind that the item set format of the WIAT-III puts a relatively low ceiling on Reading Comprehension). Basic Reading is very slightly below predicted--from what you are saying, mainly because of his word attack skills for sounding out novel vocabulary. Not a huge concern as, 1) the ceiling for this is fairly low, too, as phonetic decoding is important mainly in the lower grades, and, 2) he is well past the point of reading mainly by phonetic decoding, and probably is no longer accustomed to approaching reading tasks from that perspective. I'm assuming that it was at least average.

For math, he appears to have done equally well on both portions. The multiplication fluency was probably much higher than addition/subtraction because he is eight years old, and very few children in the standardization sample would have learned multiplication yet, so the same rate of accuracy in x versus + or - would result in a much higher standard score. Am I correct that the other two fluency scores were more in line with his processing speed (upper 110s)?

Addition was 116 and subtraction was 124. You explination helps explain why these scores are so much lower than multiplication. I was wondering why there would be such a difference between the addition and multiplication scores. What are the levels of the low ceilings? Are they below 160?

I have heard/read about DYS program before, but never paid too much attention since my son was so young the last time we did testing. I was just comparing his scores to the qualifying scores and it looks like he meets them. Should I have him apply?

Thanks so much for all of the input!!

I have heard that many highly verbally gifted kids do exceptionally well in math in elementary years since math is mostly verbal in those years, so I don't consider his score as strange.

When he gets older, his verbal strength may be more obvious in those subjects that we consider as verbal.

Yes, if you have qualifying test scores, I don't see any reason not to apply to DYS. The application is easy, and you may get support that you need down the road, even if you don't feel in need of it right now.