Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Scores, applications, questions

My son, who just turned 9, was tested in November by his school. They administered the Woodcock Johnson achievement test and the KABC. Briefly, he scored 135 broad reading; 150 broad math; 140 academic knowledge. KABC scores ranged from 96 to 99.9.

I believe I would still have to arrange for him to take an intelligence test (or submit a portfolio, but since his strength is math, and his handwriting illegible the test seems the way to go). Is this correct?

Would anyone care to make a wildly irresponsible guess at how he might do on one of the accepted tests based on the WJ or KABC?

If a child's scores are in the range required, is it likely he will be accepted, or is the application itself weighed heavily?

Finally, if your child is a DYS, what are the benefits of the program that are most useful to your child and family?

The application process is involved, and my son is in a bit of an academic crisis at the moment (unhappy in school, etc). I'm wondering if being a DYS will give DS access to resources that will help him/us resolve current school issues or if more long-range, broad support is what is offered. I'm also wondering if he's a likely candidate, or if the process is so selective it is a long-shot. If the latter, application is perhaps a project for a less-crisis riddled month.
Many thanks,

I can't answer most of your questions - but have you looked into an occupational therapy assessment and maybe some actual treatment for his hand writing? In having my DDs assessed by an OT, both having low muscle tone, in their hands in particular, I have come to realize why my own hand writing is so appalling and I wish something had been done about it.

There is some of both, so I would recommend putting together a 'quick and dirty' application right now, and depend on them asking for more info later in the less-crisis months to come.

For Portfolio, would he be willing to
a) talk while he writes his math so that it could be video taped his thinking process, and send a copy of the worksheet or photo of the white board to support the video.
b) we used to call an activity "Mommy will be your magic blackboard" when DS couldn't check his Math because he couldn't read it. I'd go to the white board and magically record his thoughts (he's say them aloud) and make corrections, all the while pretending that he was able to cast his thoughts right onto the board. If you had someone else video the whole process it would be more believable.

or you could take one of this illegible pages, and handwrite your own translation version with his help, and send both.

3 more hints:
1 - use ruled notebook paper rotated 90 degrees, so the columns line up.
2- look for graph paper with large squares, so he puts one digit in each square (or print it off the computer/Internet)
3- Keep telling him: Tree's love to die to help children learn Math

All of those seemed to help my DS at age 7-9. I had to repeat the tree phrase every time he got tiny or balked at me using just one page per division problem.
Best Wishes,
Grinity