I need to make a decision soon about whether to book in for SB5 or WPPSI-IV testing when my daughter is 3.5yo, as the waiting lists in my area are fairly long.
I know waiting until after 4yo is recommended but the testing is required earlier to see whether early entry to school is an option.
I understand the SB5 has a higher ceiling but this wouldn't be required for a 3.5yo, would it? I've also heard that the SB5 is more appealing for younger children - any thoughts on that? Also the other difference I've read is that the WPPSI is a little more verbal than the SB5 - so would a child with a large vocab perform better on this?
Also, how does the SB5 vs WPPSI compare score wise? The SB5 scores a little lower doesn't it? But considering the WPPSI was just re-normed, does that peg them fairly equal now?
thanks in advance for any advice
I can't answer your question specifically. maybe aeh can comment about the technical aspects. We used the SB V but DD was 7 and 9 during her testing. I think your questions re the scores and new tests versus old test are legitimate but ultimately you want the test that gives you the best information about your child and their needs. We are glad we went with the SB V but we haven't done any Weschler testing so I don't know what information that might have given us too.
My guess is it depends on your child. My first child wasn't gifted on the WISC, but was gifted (highly gifted in some areas) on the SB5 (ironically he was verbally gifted on the SB5 - what it really picked out though were his visual spatial abilities).
SBV is a little more comprehensive for a 3yo than WPPSI-IV. The factor structure is a little more robust on the WPPSI, though. And I prefer recent norms when I can get them. The ceiling is probably adequate on either one for a wee one.
thanks for the comments.
Yes I'd like to get the best information so we can make the right decisions. But I'm not sure what will give us that. I'm concerned that the reduced number of subtests in the WPPSI for a 3yo might over inflate the results. I haven't looked at how the SB5 is administered to 3yo's so I will check that out - more comprehensive will be good.
At the moment my daughter has great verbal ability - but we also read a LOT. I worked through a vocab test informally with her just before she turned 2 and she had the age equiv. of 4y3m back then. She does show signs of being gifted in other areas but nothing as strong as her verbal ability.
She is also a bit of a perfectionist and becomes frustrated with her fine motor skills, so I'm worried about how that might come out on a test too.
Fine motor comes in on the two visual spatial subtests of the WPPSI-IV. Tasks differ on the SBV, depending on her performance on the routing tasks (vocabulary (verbal knowledge), for the verbal tasks, and matrices (nonverbal fluid reasoning) for the nonverbal). It is possible that a strong performance on the nonverbal routing subtest may put her at a level where hands-on pattern assembly will be a significant part of a subtest score. (Some level will be present,but fine motor demands vary.) No such problem will occur on the verbal section. If using the SBV, make sure the examiner is clear that the referral question is giftedness, as the Early SBV, which can be administered to kids age 2 - 7-3 in the NT and DD population, is not appropriate for gifted.
There are usually 6 subtests administered in the WPPSI-IV, at this age, and ten on the SBV. Having fewer subtests will not necessarily inflate or depress the results. Sometimes having more will lower them, as young children tire quickly (although the subtests usually go by quickly on either test).
Measurement of verbal ability is, as you suspect, associated with environmental enrichment. The visual-spatial tasks are less so--but may be impacted by fine-motor skills, which may be quite different from cognitive development. This is one of the reasons why any cognitive assessment done on three year-olds should be taken as provisional only. If you go into the testing with realistic expectations about the validity and stability of early childhood testing, then it will be valuable, but not quite so stress-inducing. Be prepared to have her re-tested in another four or five years, if you want more stable and accurate assessments. And also, remember that you don't have to make decisions for the next decade of her education right now. If you have to change in a few months or years, it's okay.
thanks for the in depth explanation. I hadn't considered the tiring quickly factor.
I guess I am concerned that the WPPSI will score a lot higher due to her great verbal ability. Hmm.. I have another 2 months before I need to book her in somewhere, so I will keep thinking about it.
thanks again
With the regard to the verbal parts of the WPPSI-IV - doesn't a kid need both high IQ and environmental enrichment to get a high VCI score? I don't think it's possible to enrich an average kid to a super high WPPSI-IV VCI score? (is it?)
(I wondered about this b/c my kid hit the VCI ceiling when tested at 3:5 - I asked if we had overdone storytime or accidentally hothoused him? We were told no). (we just read him stuff he was interested in and answered his questions as best as we could).
Yes, cmguy, you would need both to score that well on the VCI...or at the very least, exceptional verbal memory. So something would have to be exceptional.
That is good to know!
It looks like I might be having to choose between the SB5 and WPPSI-III because I cannot find anyone offering the WPPSI-IV. I asked one place when they were getting it and they said not for a couple of years!
How soon should they change over after the new version is released? I'm in Australia, so it's only just come out this year
One year is the recommended time, though immediately is best.
Jayta had the WPPSI 4 been normed for Australia yet? Generally the Wechsler tests are normed locally but take a year or two longer to come out in Australia.
It has been out for a few months in the AU/NZ version.
Ah! There you go. I could have done the WPPSI IV on my youngest... too late now. Not that I expect I would be able to find anyone actually doing it here anyway. So I probably couldn't have really anyway.
Are you sure that you want your child to do early school entrance? I do not know your DD so this is only anecdotal based on my own experience. I have a PG daughter with a fall birthday and we went back and forth as to whether of not we should start her early. In the end we did not, we decided to give her another year in a purely play based environment (she was already reading, doing most early math etc). It was such a good decision and she blossomed so much socially in that last year as well as developing wonderful leadership skills. While school is a bit boring (I think it probably would be if she were a year younger) she is much more well rounded and happier being a leader among her peers. Also, fine motor skills are very important in kindergarten and these demands can be tedious and frustrating. I would consider all angles when making this decision.
Where as, Sallymom, I desperately, DESPERATELY wish I had been able to early enter my middle child (we tried and failed)... Having to wait for age appropriate entry was quite disastrous for us, we watched our happy child disappear, skills regress and ultimately were forced to change schools and grade skip (because that WAS allowed). I really don't think anyone early enters or grade skips a child without considering all the angles, it's not something anyone does frivolously, goodness knows there are enough people around to tell you what a terrible and poorly thought out thing you are doing because their child was so much better off for not having been skipped, or they knew this child once who had a terrible outcome that was clearly because they HAD been skipped...
Early entry and all forms of acceleration are such individual decisions, that is why they are so hard. No two person's circumstances, or children, are exactly the same. What works for one child doesn't necessarily work for another. Kids draw contentment from different things, being a leader, playing sports with age peers, playing in an adult orchestra, working on higher level academics.
Even with all the positive research on acceleration it all comes down to each particular child in the end and what they need.
Having IQ data can be very helpful both to indicate a level of giftedness or different learning profiles. But it is just one piece of the puzzle. And as we have seen, no two IQ tests measure exactly the same things. It is reasonable to work out what test best suits your child and circumstance. Good luck finding an answer Jayta. We had trouble getting the SB V when we wanted it.
Even with what you think is the best test, sometimes the result I doesn't match up with what you know about your child. Then it comes back to knowing your DC best. Again, really hard. We are intelligent people trying to make difficult decisions for our important little beings. We like hard facts and data to guide us but sometimes it just isn't there.
But all information is good information. I too can get frustrated by people with anecdotes against acceleration but I have to remember, take away anything that is valuable from the story and note that their decision worked for them. It's like case reports in medicine. Sometimes situations, illnesses, reactions to treatment are so rare that there isn't anything but case reports to rely upon. But then population data doesn't necessarily help work out what will happen to any one individual either.
Our situations are unique enough that it's hard to find anyone in exactly the same position. Even here. But there are enough similarities to get good advice.
Thanks for all of the comments.
At this point, I do not know for sure whether we will pursue early entry or not. An IQ test is just one of the pieces of information we will be using to help us make that decision. She could well test under 98% and early entry will be out of the question.
My daughter is in a play based daycare now and they have reported that she constantly seeks adult interaction, prefers toys/tasks that challenge her cognitively and loves the limited amount of direct instruction group time they provide. She becomes frustrated when other children interrupt her play, do not follow the rules/instructions etc.
I am not sure how this will change over the coming year or two but I am concerned that a 3rd year in the same play based environment will become problematic due to boredom.
In case we do not early enter, I am trying to figure out other options for the year in question. The staff at her current centre have said that she will need 'extending' if she stays for the additional year, but I need to clarify how exactly they plan to do this.